The problem isn't self-improvement, it's advice that is unrealistic and any critique of it is handwaved away as a 'negative mindset'. Not everyone can be Elon Musk levels of rich and status by going to the gym and touching grass. It's a sad fact of life but life isn't fair, you can't change your genes and not everyone is going to succeed in life. The self-help gurus and coaches won't tell you that because it's kryptonite to their profitability.
I don't disagree, but telling people to reach for the stars knowing they will fail is infinitely better than telling them to not even try because they were born already a failure.
Just because predators take advantage of something doesn't make it a bad thing. It just means be mindful of fucking grifters trying to exploit you.
The problem with that is, "realistic" for a lot of people is well below their potential and colored highly by their own laziness and self doubt. Constantly setting "realistic" goals will have people in a pretty stagnant place and the "success" they feel will be barely earned. Which then leads into the spiral of "well I didn't eat 15 cakes today, only 13 so my diet was a success" type mindsets, because they've taught themselves (and their brain's dopamine) to trigger on minimal effort places instead of being reserved for motivating to big ones.
Its not that genetics can be ignored. Its that people are still people and filled with all the failings and neuroses that brings, leaving them with an easy excuse and the ability to feel good about lowered goals will have 9/10 people just flounder around worthlessly like that. Whereas "impossible reaching" goals might be delusional and capable of some pretty big letdowns, but its also capable of bringing them well beyond where they thought they'd ever get too.
The problem isn't self-improvement, it's advice that is unrealistic and any critique of it is handwaved away as a 'negative mindset'. Not everyone can be Elon Musk levels of rich and status by going to the gym and touching grass. It's a sad fact of life but life isn't fair, you can't change your genes and not everyone is going to succeed in life. The self-help gurus and coaches won't tell you that because it's kryptonite to their profitability.
I don't disagree, but telling people to reach for the stars knowing they will fail is infinitely better than telling them to not even try because they were born already a failure.
Just because predators take advantage of something doesn't make it a bad thing. It just means be mindful of fucking grifters trying to exploit you.
I'd rather people set realistic goals and succeed rather than fail and end back up where they started.
And genetics is a prominent ceiling that you can't overcome sadly. For example, 14% of men are six feet or over but make up over half of CEOs.
The problem with that is, "realistic" for a lot of people is well below their potential and colored highly by their own laziness and self doubt. Constantly setting "realistic" goals will have people in a pretty stagnant place and the "success" they feel will be barely earned. Which then leads into the spiral of "well I didn't eat 15 cakes today, only 13 so my diet was a success" type mindsets, because they've taught themselves (and their brain's dopamine) to trigger on minimal effort places instead of being reserved for motivating to big ones.
Its not that genetics can be ignored. Its that people are still people and filled with all the failings and neuroses that brings, leaving them with an easy excuse and the ability to feel good about lowered goals will have 9/10 people just flounder around worthlessly like that. Whereas "impossible reaching" goals might be delusional and capable of some pretty big letdowns, but its also capable of bringing them well beyond where they thought they'd ever get too.