this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2024
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That's fine, and it's good that you developed healthy habits.
Self help books are, though, a thoroughly atomized liberal response to what are social ills. It takes something that is a collective problem, and places the onus entirely on an individual to solve it for themselves. That's fine or whatever, but so long as collective problems are met with individual solutions the problem never goes away, discrete individuals just get acclimated to the problem. This is not socially healthy.
I hope that explains the response a bit
No, it doesn't. Not everyone has a family/social network in place to help them achieve their goals. Moreover, creating a united front depends on having people with the skills/willingness to attempt new things with new people. If you want collective action you need people who are secure enough to try new things. Back in the day the IWW promoted 'self help' programs like teaching kids to paint, sing, or orate. They offered adult classes, too.
You're telling people not to use the books, and don't offer any alternative.
A "learn to cook" book isn't a self help book. It's a cook book.
A "house-repairs" book isn't a self help book. It's a DIY book.
You are either misunderstanding the topic, or are being deliberately obtuse. Self help books transpose problems caused by capitalism into a problem with the individual and then tell the individual they need to change who they are and take part in hustle culture and understand that their motivational problems to grind grind grind caused by worker-alienation are actually problems with them as a human being that they need to change. Self help diverts attention away from the source of problems that capitalism is causing, aiming to treat the symptoms of these problems as a diversion away from recognising the cause.
Oh I see. Yeah it makes sense that you don't like this discourse since you want people to buy your grifter book. lmao
What's an example of a self-help book, then? My examples would include "The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous," "Atomic Habits" (by James Clear) and "Getting Things Done" (by David Allen). They just contain useful info that makes life easier, is my perspective.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a kkkristian cult
Not exactly, it’s got some of that kind of baggage but it’s more about bringing together a bunch of people who all have the same problem to support each other and heal. I’m not a big fan of it, but it has helped millions of people recover from alcoholism.
It's a kkkristian cult, nothing the kkkristians do can be trusted
No, I was giving some context as to why someone might react to the suggestion of self-help books with hostility, and why a comment recommending a self help book in the thread might be removed by mods for "cringe."
So, we're at the point where talking about books is potentially offensive to people?
I don't know why you'd get that impression.
Do you have a torrent link? I have literally never paid for a book in my entire life and I don't plan on doing so now.