I love reading. But as
I age I find fewer works of fiction that capture my imagination. I’m not sure why, but I find many of the
characters in books one-dimensional and more caricature than character. And the plots often seem contrived and
wearily predictable to me. Perhaps it is
because I have read so many stories over the course of my life and am a bit
jaded. But I can tell pretty quickly
whether a book of fiction is going to appeal to me and there are still many
that do.
I read a lot of non-fiction, mostly history, science, and
other observations of human civilization.
I have enjoyed some of the big picture, trans-discipline books like Guns,
Germs and Steel, and Sapiens, though I understand their limitations in
terms of accuracy and rigor. It is very
tempting to generalize and draw over-arching conclusions about trends in
humankind.
Even if these constructs are not totally accurate I believe
they are instructive and help organize one’s thoughts. One should never to be too certain about
anything. I believe the ability to
accept and live with ambiguity is one of the most important attributes a person
can have.
The one area of published works that I assiduously avoid is
the self-help genre. There is something
about the shocking presumption of people telling other people how to live their
lives that totally alienates me. I find the
great majority of these highly suspect, self-congratulatory tomes to be
completely worthless (though admittedly I only briefly skim their contents on
occasion).
Human beings are needy creatures and who among us is not
beset by various problems or challenges that he or she would like to address? And thus, we are easy prey for the slick
merchandising of the self-help guru, the author who knows just how we feel and
is ready to offer his years of experience to rescue us from our sorry state.
Overweight? Buy the
latest diet fad book! Want to be
wealthier? Read this book about playing
the stock market or investing in real estate!
Stuck in a job you hate? Grab
this book about successful people and their character traits! Can’t find a mate? Learn
how to be more attractive and desirable in 200 pages!
We are easily seduced by the quick fix, the clever advice
from somebody who seems to have it all and is now sharing the secret with less
fortunate or astute souls. No doubt
these authors believe they are somehow contributing to society, doing their
part for the good of mankind. And of
course, they love to see their names in print and the royalty checks rolling
in.
I am suspicious of anyone who really believes they can
dispense wisdom or advise others about how to live. I am ready and willing to listen to a friend’s
problems and talk through options, but I would never be so arrogant as to
promote my own life experiences and opinions as something that others should
mimic.
Every life is a unique journey. There is no roadmap for happiness, success,
love or friendship. No secret formula
for fulfillment. Those who say they know
the answers are charlatans. Each of us
must seek out the information we need to understand ourselves and our desires. And then we must put into practice those
things that will hopefully lead to us being our best and happiest selves.
But I highly doubt that this will occur
through imbibing the much-vaunted elixir of self-help potions or the embrace of
other people’s hubris. It is
self-discovery that we seek and that will lead us home, not constructing our
life as a disciple of someone else’s fantasy.
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