Do self-help books really change our lives? One reader isn’t so sure

I’m someone who loves reading fiction, but seeing people on social media talk about books that “changed their lives” convinced me to buy one too. For readers like me, who are more into fiction, it can sometimes feel like we are missing out. Whenever people discuss self-help books, they sound so philosophical and knowledgeable. But whether they really are, or just sound that way, is another question altogether.

Self-help culture, a social media fad?

Social media has played a major role in the rise of self-help culture. It often makes you feel as if there is some kind of magic hidden in those books that once you read them, all your problems will vanish. And that, inevitably, creates FOMO. When you see everyone around you raving about a particular book, it is hard not to get curious and buy it just to find out what the hype is about.

So, like everyone else, I picked up a self-help book. But my experience was not great. As soon as I started reading, I realised it was very repetitive the same advice again and again: make a routine, set a goal, don’t care about what others say. Most of these books recycle the same ideas and present them in slightly different words. Whenever people talk about them, they might sound deep or insightful, but often it’s just the same old wisdom dressed up in new language.

That is not to say that no self-help book can make your life better. Yes, there are books that genuinely help people improve themselves. But they only work for those who are truly willing to act on what they read. Not everyone gets the same results. And if you think that just reading a book will transform your life, it will not. These books aren’t magic pills  you cannot simply read one and expect everything to fall into place.

Fiction can be a great teacher

And for those who love fiction there is no need to feel left out. Fiction, too, teaches us valuable lessons. The complex characters, uncertain situations, and constant tug between what’s right and wrong often mirror our own lives in subtle ways. Through stories, we learn empathy, patience, and the complexities of human behavior. A single novel can teach us how people think, love, fail, and rise again lessons no “10 steps to success” book can fully capture. While self-help books tell us what to do, fiction shows us what it means to be human.

If you enjoy reading fiction and feel the same way, there’s nothing to worry about. Learning doesn’t depend on what you read, but on how you understand it. Wisdom can be found in any book. It’s not necessary to follow whatever every internet guru recommends. Fiction reminds us that life isn’t just black or white it exists in the shades of grey in between. Things are not always completely right or wrong; life usually unfolds somewhere in the middle.

(Daisy Kumari is an intern with The Indian Express)