The Self Help Stigma

The self help stigma. I would like to take a few minutes to address the apparent social stigma attached to self help and personal development as well as offer a few words of encouragement.

I remember one time a friend coming around my house and looking at a collection of books I had on my desk, most of them being on the topic of developing self confidence. He commented “I can’t believe you're reading those books, you’re the most confident person I know”. My response was “maybe I’m confident because I have read those books and applied the information”. He just couldn’t grasp the concept that confidence was a quality that could be developed. To him it was as though there was something wrong with reading those books! The same is true with life, you are not born with life skills, you develop them. What’s wrong with seeking advice from experts?

I frequently encounter the attitude that in order to be into personal development and self help there has to be something wrong with you that needs “fixing”. It’s as though you want to go from broken to functional. I see it more as wanting to go from outstanding to truly exceptional! Top athletes spend a fortune on coaching. I guarantee the number 1 whatever in the world, be it number 1 in business, number 1 in sports or anything else has a top coach or adviser very close to them. These people are not viewed as broken seeking to become functional! They are viewed as smart. So why are people seeking the same level of success for their own lives not viewed as smart?

Be proud I say, be strong, ignore those who speak about what they don’t understand. Anybody taking action to improve the quality of their own life needs a round of applause, not mockery. Stand up tall and you will eventually get what you want. Just ignore the self help stigma and keep moving forward.

Self Help Stigma