Do Self Help Books Really Work?

in #self-help2 years ago

There are a lot of self help books out there that make big promises. Some promise to help you lose weight, get a promotion, improve your relationships or become more assertive.

But do they really work? And if so, how can you best use them to transform your life?


When people read self help books, they often hope to find a way to solve their problems. They may also want to learn how to be more positive about their lives.

But, the reality is that these books don’t always work for everyone. The reasons are many, but they all boil down to one thing: You need to apply what you learn from a book.

The most common reason that self help books don’t work is because they don’t get you to take action. This is not to say that they aren’t useful or sound, but it does mean that you need to put them into practice and make the necessary changes in your life.

This is where a therapist can help you, but you’re still responsible for your own progress. That’s the best way to find success with self help.

While many people claim that self help books work for them, it’s important to remember that they don’t work for everyone. There are many reasons that this is the case.

It’s often due to the fact that they’re not written in a way that is compatible with the needs of the reader. Instead, they are typically very prescriptive and closed in their philosophy.

They’re also often about making money for the publisher and writer. This is why you’ll see a lot of self-help books that promise to provide a “cure-all” solution for all your problems.

This is why it’s so important to limit your reading to ones that are backed by a strong amount of research and directed at your particular issue. For example, if you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, you should only read books that have been specifically designed to help with this problem. Similarly, if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t read books that talk about losing weight without having an actual diet plan.

Many self help books keep parroting advice that has become embedded in the popular culture, but which has now been disproven by research.

Another reason self help books don’t work for everyone is that they don’t offer specific, actionable strategies to solve your problems. Instead, they suggest a set of general, overarching principles.

These are the kind of principles that can only be learned through personal experience and trial and error, and don’t guarantee success in your particular situation.

In fact, many people will find themselves failing to follow these guidelines because they simply don’t have the necessary willpower or discipline.

In these cases, it is more beneficial to read a book that focuses on developing habits and routines than one that promises immediate results. The latter will usually make you feel worse and discourage you from trying again.

It doesn’t matter how sound and research backed the principles are in a self help book; they won’t work if you don’t put them into practice.

A good self help author anticipates that you’re going to be tempted to put the book down or give it up altogether (at least for a while). They can “forgive” you in advance for that and give you strategies to get back on track when you’re ready.


But the biggest reason that self help books don’t work for everyone is that they oversimplify the problem. They make it seem so easy and then, when you actually try to implement that advice, you realize that it’s not as simple or effective as you thought.

It’s a very common mistake to think that just because a self help book tells you something, it’s automatically going to make it happen. It’s not true and will often leave you feeling disappointed, frustrated, or even depressed.

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