I like help and I like books, and I also like the self but I don't like self-help books. Books help(ing) the self are good but self-help books aren't.
I don't like their premises or how they operate.
Their premises make sweeping generalizations or exploit a few vague similarities to the point of strongly suggesting that everyone is the same to the point that if everyone follows a few guidelines, they can be happy or rich or can unlock the secrets of the universe.
The secrets of the universe are universal and as such are unique to all 7+ billions souls on Earth (not including those who exist beyond the confines of our atmosphere). As such, the secrets of the universe as well as the notions of happiness, wealth, and love can only be unlocked/discovered on one's own terms. And since we're all vastly different creatures, they are different and we cannot be held to some vague general guidelines found in a self-help book.
Self-help books, in my experience, seem to ignore/disregard the basic fact that we are all different: what works for me, doesn't work for you or what's-his-face or what's-her-name and so forth.
I don't think it's right for a self-help books to make sweeping generalizations about a person and give them false hope through said generalizations. Don't lock people in boxes like that. Let them run free. Let them learn through trial and error. Let them use their intuition, let them use their logic.
Once, someone I knew asked that I read a self-help book with her. I couldn't do it. I tried to get through it but I couldn't do it. I renewed the book several times from the library and made an effort to read it but I always got bored, annoyed, irritated, and insulted with the book that I put it down and read something else, watched a movie, or generally did something else that wouldn't piss me off.
I tried but couldn't get through enough pages for any sort of meaning to sink in because it always felt like I was being talked down to and like I was totally helpless. It didn't really have much to do with why I was asked to read the book though in retrospect the reasons were valid but maybe the execution and proposed method for resolving the issues could have been much different.
If I were to be approached with that situation again, I'd decline altogether and argue that taking generalized instructions from an unaware and totally oblivious source isn't the best of ideas. If there's a situation we need to tackle, it should be together with each other.
I appreciate the sentiment but really:
I appreciate the sentiment but really:
Let them be.
Let it be.
Let it bleed.
Let the world be.
