One thing that annoys me a little are the self help things that claim some sort of mystical entity will grant you what you desire if you put enough desire, optimism or positive energy out there. Manifestation, quantum physics, energy wavelengths and even religion are being treated that way.
In quantum physics yes there is a string theory that says everything is made up of vibrating strings, but how they got ‘that will bring you wealth and happiness if you try hard enough’ out of that I don’t know. And energy, yes every living being puts out energy and we’re all less solid and more expensive than we think, but where did they get the idea that 1. We control that energy and 2. We can bring our dreams and goals to fruition with them? Don’t even get me started on people treating God like a genie.
This sort of thing is downright despicable because it puts all the blame for not getting your desires, wealth, happiness etc on the person. Because they didn’t believe hard enough. Because they weren’t happy enough or grateful enough or good enough of a person. Or they didn’t want it hard enough.
Life doesn’t work that way! Luck plays such a huge role in success. Do the people who succeed work hard, have talent, deserve their success? Usually yes. But as many people who don’t succeed work just as hard, have just as much talent or more and would deserve success just as much. It’s a pretty much a requirement for success, but not because it guaranteed it. It’s a requirement because without it you can’t step through the door luck opens for you. Some people just don’t get opportunities and it’s not their fault.
Alot of these concepts do often give good advice though, just for the wrong reasons. The reason the advice often works is because of cause and effect, natural consequences, and basic behavioral science, not because the universe wishes you well. The universe has a bias, it’s biased towards life just not your life in particular.
You can make your life better. You can make yourself happier. You can prepare yourself for opportunities that come your way and yes even prepare yourself to recognize opportunities you might not have before. But it’s based on what we have learned over a long period of time. Tested with repetition and now the scientific method. Maybe we don’t know why it works, but when it doesn’t it’s not your fault.
If you have anxiety and deep trauma meditation may be bad for you. If you’re clinically depressed, all the gratitude statements in the world will do is make you feel bad for not being happy when you have so much to be grateful for. If you’re in an abusive relationship or currently undergoing intense trauma or bullying, you have every right to be miserable about it. Or angry. If you fail over and over again that’s okay. You don’t have to be happy about that either. And it probably isn’t your fault.
Everyone does the best they can with the information and resources they know they have. Words can hurt you without your permission especially as a child and so can violence. Your body might malfunction for unknown reasons mentally or physically. It doesn’t matter how much you believe, or want or put energy out or how you attune to the vibration of quantum strings.
That’s not to say you can’t get better and things can’t get better, but look around. Don’t read just one book of self help. Read them all. You’ll see a pattern. So far I’ve noticed gratitude, mindfulness, exercise, a healthy diet, and taking tiny steps are repeated for quite a lot of things. I probably missed some things but start from there I guess. Read up on them, find out why they work, how they work. Or just trust that they do and try it. It’s up to you. See a psychiatrist and take meds too if your brain chemistry’s permanently fucked up for some reason like mine is.
Well that’s what I have to say about this. It’s just been bothering me since I’ve been studying self help stuff, that’s all. I hope this is of help to someone. Have a good day.
