By: Shahzeb Hussain

There are lots of people trying to better themselves, wanting to change their destiny, hoping to find true love, trying to get over someone, some want to gain more money while some are just trying to get over a phobia. A lot of these people believe that in order to finally get what they want, they need to better themselves. Obviously if they already had that factor they would have already acquired their wants.

You know how they say, “In order to change the world you must first change yourself”? Well seems like a lot of people want to change themselves. Many of these people refer to self-help books.

The ‘for dummies” series 

Self-help books are books that teach you how to better yourself. They teach you how to be more intelligent, more charming, and charismatic. They teach you how to induce leadership qualities in yourself. If you’re an introvert they teach you how to be more social. Go into a book store and they’ll have self-help books on almost everything. I’m sure almost everyone has seen the “for dummies” self-help books.

However, in the words of Billy Bob Thorton from the movie school for scoundrels, “You know why you can’t help yourself? Because yourself sucks!”.

That’s what got me thinking. Do self-help books really work? Or is it just another money making gimmick that, we, the gullible, fall prey to these false promises?

A lot of self-help books have gone on to become best-sellers, some of which titled, “How to become a successful millionaire”. But how many buyers of those book shave actually gone on to become those successful millionaires?

Those self-help books promise you to make you into a social butterfly in 10 days, yet people still barely manage to make small talk with someone. I mean think about it, you have a subject, take math for example, your good with numbers yet you still need a teacher to teach you how to use those num

bers yet you still need a teacher to teach you how to use those numbers to solve equations. Similarly, if someone is having issues with say public speaking, you have the tools to deliver a speech, but you need a teacher to guide you how to overcome that fear.

A teacher who shows you the practical method, who creates an environment for you and tests you, with what you’ve learned so far is better than a book. Self-help books however, is a written document by someone who has had those things form the get go. I mean I for one have never completely grasped a concept in school simply by reading.

This brings me to my point; are these self-help books a way to make money of people who feel bad about themselves? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying these books don’t help people, I’m sure everyone takes something from these books, and apply them the way the author meant them to be. However, it just seems that if you really want to improve yourself, one should learn from someone who had those problems and find out how they overcame those obstacles.

If you don’t have enough experience, learn from someone else’s.

So what do you think? Have you ever bought a self-help book? Did it help? Or do u think it’s all a way to make money?

Let us know!