I feel like at some point in my life I should pause on seeking out the next self-help book and instead invest that time and energy into reading the classics that have stood the test of time. I won't go over those "classics", but I have a general idea of them that includes books from authors I find to be influential.

The idea behind why I feel this way about self-help books is mostly because so many of them are BS. I've known this for a long time, but I didn't want to fully believe it for some reason. I know self-help books won't suddenly change my life, so I'd rather enjoy what I'm reading to improve my life in other aspects.

Besides, most of my time spent reading is on articles online, so I wouldn't be missing out on much. A lot of the things I've learnt come from those articles written by amazing strangers, and on a much bigger variety of topics.

Also it's hard to come across authors with interesting enough backstories that make their books compelling enough to read. Many authors are just repeating what others have said centuries ago. I know I'm making some bold claims, but that's how I feel about it. And listen, I'm all for stealing like an artist, but sometimes it's a waste of the reader's time. There's a reason why platforms that summarise books exist.

So, in the future I'll most likely take the approach of re-reading books that have been life-changing to me, while also reading the ones I've compiled in a list because there are some seriously good books out there that I just have to read.

Obviously I'm still early in my life and need to expose myself to as many ideas as possible, but sometimes nailing in on some core principles from books I respect would seem beneficial. I may be crazy, so if that's the case feel free to reach out with your opposing thoughts.

And for finding new books, one way would be to anticipate the ones from my favourite authors (like Derek Sivers), because I genuinely enjoy supporting them.

Parsa’s Thoughts

Halting self-help books at some point