The Truth about the Pseudo Self-Help Business
“Heaven helps those who help
themselves.”
---Anonymous.
There are over 300,000
books available on Amazon.com in the category of “self-help.” Given this astounding
amount of literature, how can one possibly decide where to look for an authentic
self-help book? Nowhere is this more apparent than in regards
to individuals flocking to programs
seeking shortcuts in the hope of achieving rapid results. Modern culture has
seen many proponents of self-help, including advocates of positive thinking;
they market their books, CDs and DVDs to anyone willing to buy them. But first, they create their market selling ideas that
indoctrinate people to believe that they are powerless and need the help of
these false self-help coaches.
In modern times, self-help has become a business enterprise.
Some authors use this label as a means of making money. There are many
bestselling books in the self-help industry that promise many wonders in a
short period of time. Self-help has become synonymous with quick
fix. For instance, the self-help culture in America has become a staggering $12
billion industry.
Most of the time, people follow the
recommendations given in these books, audio-books, seminars, workshops. Then, when
the material bought does not deliver the benefits they promised, they blame
themselves and think that there is something wrong with them; thus, their effects can be detrimental. The self-help programs
that are supposedly harmless can do more harm than good, making people believe
that they are helpless.
Several authors and sociologists, such as investigative
journalist Steve Salerno, who wrote a book titled SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, have
examined this social problem. As the title
of the book suggests, inauthentic self-help culture can result in clients
victimizing themselves. The popularity of motivational speakers such as Dr.
Phil, Dr. Laura, Tony Robbins, and so on who profit from this industry, is
well-known. These people organize seminars and workshops, where they sell their
books, audio-books, CDs, etc., while charging seminar fees ranging from $500 to
several thousand dollars in the case of Tony Robbins. The same can be said regarding
some Christian motivational speakers who use their popularity and their church
platforms to indirectly promote their books and audiotapes. Furthermore, Salerno
points out that market
surveys reveal, "The most likely customer for a book on any given topic
was someone who had bought a similar book within the preceding eighteen
months." Since the person did not find what he/she was looking for, he/she
kept searching for another book, audio book, or CD, or enrolled in seminars and
workshops, in an endless search, hoping to find a solution to their problems.
A number of televangelist authors of
self-help books have access to mass communication,
such as TV and radio, which gives them
tremendous power to influence naïve and uninformed people to buy their books,
CDs, audio-books and so on. The self-help industry is infested with life
coaches but not authentic self-help providers.
Some
self-help gurus promote self-victimization; that is, they advocate the idea that
people have problems in adulthood because they have been victimized in early
childhood. The theory is the inner child has been traumatized by past events,
which have become negative "tapes" that replay over and over in their
subconscious minds. They then tell people that redemption comes through
empowering themselves with the material they are selling.
The
real issue could be that some people may need professional therapy, but since
they cannot afford it, they seek help on their own, flocking to these kinds of
literature and workshops.
The mass media is basically oriented to
manipulate and domesticate ordinary people, creating superficial and
unnecessary needs. Most people’s behaviors are based upon the actions,
decisions, and opinions of others. Under this scenario come false New Age
“gurus,” some Protestant religious leaders, and sensationalistic and fake self-help
authors take advantage of naïve people to financially profit from them. They
offer a panacea or “snake oil” to solve all humans’ problems under the name of
self-help. They demand that people uncritically believe in them or in their
products or services.
Thus, it
is extremely important to raise awareness about these modern “snake oil”
peddlers who take advantage of gullible people. Again, they sell the idea of victimization;
once the client accepts this idea, the next step is to propose the idea of empowerment,
for which the client needs their techniques. Their main motivation is to fatten
their wallets and not to help people. A friend of mine accurately posited the
inquiry: Why is it called "self-help" if one
has to pay for it?
In this environment,
someone has to have the courage to clear the air and put things into correct perspective.
Millions of people are wasting time, money, and energy buying ineffective and
detrimental systems. Therefore, it is imperative to rescue authentic
self-help from that which is business oriented. Contrary to critics who
blithely dismiss self-help methods, or New Age gurus who sell them as miracles,
the book Awaken the Power Within: In
Defense of Self-Help explores the conditions under which self-help is
authentic and effective.
The book analyzes the accuracy of
self-help and explores what works, what doesn’t, and why. It uncovers the gimmicks
of cheap literature that offer the “snake oil” solution to all problems. Snake
oil may provide people with temporary relief, but it does not last, because the
remedy did not address the root of the problem. It offers only a momentary boost of inspiration that fades after a few
weeks, turning buyers into repeat customers.
This book further clarifies the concept of
“self-help” as a mental discipline, which
some abuse for the sake of entrepreneurship. It surveys the main assumptions of
inauthentic self-help culture that keeps humans enslaved in a herd mentality and
fully demonstrates that all the power dwells within each individual.
Thus, it is
imperative to stress the notion of Help
Yourself to tap the human potential. This takes us to the concept of self-help and its derivative self-healing. The
concept of self-help is anchored in the popular saying, "Heaven helps those who help themselves."
The message is to awaken
people from their slumber and make them realize that humans have the inner
capacity to confront any difficult circumstances in life; there is no need for
external intervention. People are responsible for creating their own reality
with their thoughts and beliefs, and they are the only ones who can take back
their power. This book offers a deeper perspective on the culture
of self-help and self-improvement and empowers us to rely on our inner voice for
motivation, authentic self-empowerment and self- reliance.
Albert
Amao Soria
www.amazon.com/author/amao
About
the Author
Albert Amao Soria is a sociologist,
social theorist and cultural critic. He is an independent researcher – a
life-long student of metaphysics and philosophy; with over 30 years’ experience
in comparative religion, psychology, and mysticism with emphasis on Western
spiritual traditions. Mr. Amao is the author of several books, including Awaken the Power Within (Perigee/Tarcher,
2018); Healing without Medicine (Quest
Books, 2014); and The Dawning of the
Golden Age of Aquarius (AuthorHouse, 2012). He is available for lectures
upon request. Mr. Amao can be contacted by email at Stgermain777@gmail.com. For further
information, visit the websites: http://www.amazon.com/author/amao
and www.albertamao.com.
