How to read self-help
Curated from: tjcx.me
Ideas, facts & insights covering these topics:
6 ideas
·1.57K reads
6
Explore the World's Best Ideas
Join today and uncover 100+ curated journeys from 50+ topics. Unlock access to our mobile app with extensive features.
Self-help
We like reading about self-help but are skeptical at the same time. Any attempt to articulate a theory against self-help ends up sounding like self-help itself.
Some self-help is terrible, while other self-help leads to a better, more fulfilling life.
81
442 reads
Knowledge and wisdom
- A knowledgeable person can solve a narrow set of problems that few can, like a neurosurgeon.
- A wise person knows what to do in most situations. She is able to give out general purpose, one-size-fits-all advice. Wisdom is very easy to understand. However, it is very difficult to apply in real life.
114
256 reads
Self-help through the wisdom lens
The purpose of self-help is to acquire wisdom. Self-help books are filled with wisdom.
It embarrasses us because it's full of easy truisms. We like it because it makes sense. It's trivial to read but nearly impossible to put into practice. That is why we feel so inspired when reading about it.
88
228 reads
Read self-help that makes sense
A rule of thumb is that wisdom should make sense. It is general and obvious advice. If it is not immediately obvious, it is rarely right.
When you hear something, ask:
- Is this an obvious universal truth?
- Does it make sense?
- Can I apply this to a variety of situations?
If you answer "no", you are probably not dealing with wisdom.
87
197 reads
Self-help in practice
Self-help books seem only to give high-level advice and never specifically explain how to drive this wisdom home.
However, wisdom applies to so many different situations and in so many ways, that it is impossible to go through every possibility of application.
75
215 reads
“…in the day to day trenches of adult existence, banal platitudes can have a life or death importance.”
DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
67
235 reads
IDEAS CURATED BY
Vanilla Eyes's ideas are part of this journey:
Learn more about personaldevelopment with this collection
The importance of physical activity
The role of genetics in lifespan
How to maintain a healthy diet
Related collections
Similar ideas
5 ideas
I have forgotten how to read
theglobeandmail.com
5 ideas
3 ideas
Why Parents Need a Little Self-Compassion
greatergood.berkeley.edu
Read & Learn
20x Faster
without
deepstash
with
deepstash
with
deepstash
Personalized microlearning
—
100+ Learning Journeys
—
Access to 200,000+ ideas
—
Access to the mobile app
—
Unlimited idea saving
—
—
Unlimited history
—
—
Unlimited listening to ideas
—
—
Downloading & offline access
—
—
Supercharge your mind with one idea per day
Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.
I agree to receive email updates