Nearly anything done in excess can become an addiction: sex, drugs, gambling, and yes, even self-help. These days you see self-help advice everywhere you turn. Some people get so caught up in the culture that they spend thousands of dollars on books and courses.
I was talking with a colleague about blogs and self-help and the success-driven lifestyle, and he said something that stuck with me. Maybe, all the people writing self-help books and blogs are addicted to the process. Maybe, they have a need to continue to create things in order to make up for some inadequacy or stressor in their own lives. Wow!
Maybe that’s my problem. Could I be using writing as a way to cover up other issues in my life? Could I be a self-help addict?
To be clear, I don’t buy into most of the rampant self-help obsession these days. Yet, I can’t seem to keep from writing my own self-help perspective. Are all these articles and essays just a cover up for my own deep-seeded problems? An escape? My writing isn’t really advice for others. Maybe, I’m just acting as my own self-help guru. Is it all just a giant feedback loop?
And so what if that’s actually the case? I’d rather be addicted to my own self-help than to video games and alcohol. If my writing serves no purpose other than to help me cope with life, what’s wrong with that?
At least it’s free. – dse
- Learn more about creativity
- Get new Anderhill music first
- Get special discounts
- Sign up for the newsletter
