Do Self Help Books Work

Do Self Help Books Work?

For centuries people have learned how to change their thoughts and behavior as they seek more meaning in their lives.

Learning how to overcome shyness, social anxiety and low self-confidence is a great way to transform your life.

Finding the self-help book that will actually help you overcome these problems can really be a life changer.

But, is it possible to take ‘self-help’ too far? Some people do go overboard simply because of the amount of resources available to them. This is often more destructive than it is constructive.

Too Much Self-Help Can Be Destructive

People often use their self-help methods as a way to delay taking action. It is great to read about changing habits and thoughts, but reading basically the same advice in book after book is not beneficial to most people. While all this reading might make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside, they kid themselves when they actually think they are doing great.

They finish one book and move on to the next one on their list. Each book joins the pile of those already read. One cannot forget about all the self-help groups people can find online. Finishing a pile of books and meeting like-minded people is a great way to make one feel good about themselves, but they are still not putting anything into practice.

Misinformation

All the many self-help books have been written by people from all walks of life. Are they writing from their own experiences? Are they giving you factual information that is based on actual studies of the human psyche? Do they offer sound advice that has been proven to work? These questions matter when it comes to choosing the right books.

Another problem with misinformation is the internet. Anyone can share their thoughts and opinions online. There are so many websites where anyone can find advice. It is so easy to find an answer that fits any agenda.

Why is Misinformation Harmful?

For every website offering self-help advice, there is a different opinion to go along with their writing. However, there are always going to be people who need way more than one website has to offer.

One site might tell you that you need to visualize your goals. However, they don’t teach you how to visualize correctly, so you are left on your own to try to figure it out.

Other sites might suggest you don’t need to have a long-term goal. Instead, they suggest making short-term plans that work better. Again, they don’t teach you how create workable plans.

An online search will offer you many ways to help you set a goal, but they offer up very few ways to reach that goal.

Is Self-Help Wrong?

Not at all! What people need to remember is that when you actually seek out self-help books or websites, you will find more satisfaction and success if you put your new knowledge to use, rather than continue along the path of ‘just’ learning.

Remember the old saying: “Action speaks louder than words.”