Do Self-Help and Self-Improvement Books Really Work?

This is a long-time debatable issue whether self-help books really help you in achieving your goal or are these just hyped books which take you nowhere? In fact Huffpost, in its article has clearly said Self Help Books Rarely Work.

If you are looking for my opinion, then I think there is some reason why the books of this genre are still being published. There is a reason behind being #1 bestselling for books like 5 am Club and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k. And, it seems that these self-help books are doing wonders in the readers’ life.

My first self-help book was Quiet by Susan Cain which I also mentioned in the list of the best self-help books on a books website, Vowelor. This book is about the introverts who made their mark in the world. So basically, the book taught me to convert my introvert inferiorities into my strengths and conquer the world. The idea behind writing the book was so essential and pure that it was reflected in the writing and I think that the book was appropriate for the recommendation as one of the best self-help books.

But, the only problem I faced while reading my list of self-help books is the abundance of knowledge. Every page or even every sentence of the book holds something meaningful for you that it cannot be skipped by any means. Though, it becomes hard for an average human mind to retain this plethora of wisdom. The mentioned stats and facts about the topic sometimes make the books dull and readers get unhooked from the topic.

Does this mean that self-help books are overrated? Does this mean that anyone who could not achieve their desired goal after reading self-improvement books, fails the book?

No, absolutely not. Despite these difficulties I faced while reading my first self-development book, I learned a lot from the book. After reading the whole book I knew how to tackle the introvert problems. Now, I recognize my strengths and use them to empower myself.

Now let me tell you how actually self-help books are useful for its readers. As you read them your mind subconsciously grasps the knowledge and reminds you every now and then to act in the right way. Self-development books are a way to highlight and visualize your goals. Mainly these books are concerned to show you the reality and teach you to live your dreams. It adds on another point of view and way of thinking which obviously broadens your perspective.

And, self-help books are most effective when you take actions after reading it. When you imply the knowledge in your real life. Books like Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl or The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch are the books that let you learn from someone else’s life experiences. I think the reason behind reading these books is to adapt the life-changing actions for self-development which are already proved to be successful for someone else.

But as the times are changing, the way of writing self-help books is also changing. Gone are the days when the books for self-improvement were just a pile of wise words written in the nonfiction genre. Now, they are written in a more interactive and fictional way. You could agree with me if you have read books like Tuesdays With Morrie, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, or The Alchemist. I would call these books as ‘Modern Self-Help Books’. They impart knowledge from their treasures in an intriguing way that your mind will definitely retain. Another kind of self-development books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are the ones which compel you to take action. Books like these are written on the new terms of self-help and actually urge its readers to take a step for their personal development.

At last, I would say every book impacts differently on different individuals. After reading books you might feel differently towards your environment and yourself. Reading self-help books is not the quick fix if that’s what you are looking for.

It requires great time and effort to make the required changes in order to achieve your goal. These books provide you the accumulated knowledge from some brilliant people. However, it doesn’t mean what worked for them will do wonders to you also. You need to extract the best from the self-help books and imply them in your life.

Article Source: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/do-self-help-and-self-improvement-books-really-work

Here are some self-improvement books you can check out: