Forget self-help books, learn how to read fiction properly

🧠 My link will get you 10% off on Hover: www.hover.com/elizabeth Good luck with what you're using it for! ❤️
I've wanted to make this video for a while, after being often told fiction wastes your time, and being recommended endless self-help books. I do recognise it's a function of my niche and the people I'm surrounded by that everyone feels so strongly self-help books are amazing and fiction is a waste of time, but because I strongly feel the opposite, I just had to get this off my chest 😅
To make your life easier:
0:00 Intro
1:31 Why self help sucks: It's the Thought That Counts
3:47 What about Beauty?
5:45 How to Read: Method 1, For the Record
7:21 How to Read: Method 2, Hold that Thought
8:30 How to Read: Method 3, Cover to Cover
WHO AM I: I'm Elizabeth, a medical student, painter, KZbinr and Podcaster in London. I love to think and talk about life, art, medicine, books and meaning. And also how to find the time to do those things. If you'd like to watch me paint and talk about life, I do that on my podcast ( / @feelosophywithelizabe... ) and if you'd like to read my thoughts and book notes, I have a newsletter you can join (newsletter.elizabethfilips.com/).
🧠 Shop my Notion Templates to Work Better With Yourself: lizziefilips.gumroad.com
If you want to stay in touch:
💌 My Newsletter - newsletter.elizabethfilips.com/
🎙My Podcast - / @feelosophywithelizabe...
📕 My Book Club - www.getrevue.co/profile/the-p...
📸 My Instagram - / elizabeth.filips
💻 My Website - www.elizabethfilips.com/
🐥 My Twitter - / lizziefilips
Or leave a comment, I (try to) answer 100% of comments :)

[@elizabethfilips]

🧠 My link will get you 10% off on Hover: www.hover.com/elizabeth Good luck with what you're using it for! ❤

[@marcothegreatpowerful6483]

I have a fictional book for you to enjoy my dear Elizabeth. The Divine Crusade Against America 🇺🇸 its only 7 pounds. Enjoy!

[@Aniketsingh-uj8pl]

Thanks

[@wahidurrahman8993]

Read Robert Greene self-help book my mentor

[@ravanti5780]

Thete isn't a self to help

[@yangmr803]

l live

[@GolfSidekick]

your greatest talent, is being able to speak in 1.5x KZbin speed without me speeding up the video

[@gonzaotc]

Now I have to watch her in x0.75 as a not-native speaker haha

[@Steven-ze2zk]

lol!

[@kunoichi116]

I was about to comment that!!! I think she uploads at that speed... Actually talking that fast would be craaaazy

[@jeff-8511]

I wish she would be speaking more slowly

[@gavinchristiantoro]

She’s just stumbled upon her British accent.

[@_knitch]

Self-help books can be instructive, but stories are transformative. Sometimes I feel like the knowledge I collect merely floats in space, until the right story comes along and gives it a precise orbit. One such moment happened just a few months ago when I read The Karamazov Brothers. Such an incredible, life-changing book.

[@admypz]

how did it change you?

[@_knitch]

@@admypz I won't spoil anything in case you haven't read it, but I recognised parts of myself in a few different characters, and saw how some behaviours made me blind to other healthier, more constructive ways of living. I feel more balanced in my sense of self and how I relate to the world, and I am finding happiness even in life situations that used to cause me great pain. Of course it's not a magical book, but I seem to have read it at the right time in my journey for it to make something "click" somehow.

[@cursedcookies]

You just wonderfully worded how I've felt about the process of learning and applying concepts. So many times in my life I've "learned" something but only finally understood said thing after reading/seeing/experiencing it again or through a different means. Sometimes even if I've revisited a concept on and off for years. It''s crazy how much infornation we can take in on a daily basis without truly absorbing it, even when focused. I hope that made sense cause I've been up for almost 24 hrs straight and can't word for shit right now lol

[@GurpreetSingh-xl7vn]

It is indeed The Magical Book. And crime and punishment too.

[@thedog5k]

Excellent way of putting it Instructive vs transformative

[@khalilahd.]

I love a good self help book (I’m obsessed with Atomic Habits and Can’t Hurt Me) but I’ve also learned so many incredible lessons from fictional books as well 🙏🏽

[@nana14567]

I love atomic habits. I made a vlog in my channel i was reading it

[@patarisac]

i'm reading Atomic Habits right now 😁

[@Chase92080]

Can`t Hurt Me is so good.

[@mnmstyler9583]

Yes fr, i havent read any other books that are so good as these two! Totally obsessed.

[@anugyashrivastava1066]

Hey I am reading atomic habits currently and I love it! Can you recommend me some that I might like and are worth reading?

[@Yosri]

Self help books are great, just choose one book to read per year, you don't have to read 20 books on self-help, that's not the point, knowing a new concept/philosophy from a self-help book, then having the time to apply it in real life, this is the goal!

[@hasanh.s5381]

That is a very valid and true opinion, thanks for sharing!

[@Yosri]

@@hasanh.s5381 you're welcome!

[@devikaraj9789]

True

[@krisnaputra766]

very valid opinion, sometimes if you read too much these kind of books it makes you forget the lesson of the previous books

[@firstname405]

Just make sure it isn't from jordan peterson and you're on the right track 👍

[@LillyJeanne]

I feel that a well written novel with conflicted characters where I can follow their path through the difficulties of life often helps me more to understand struggles in my own life than an abstract self help book. While I have read a few excellent books that would probably qualify as self help, the majority of what I have seen / read in that field was mediocre at best.

[@vaibhavi.singh.]

Hey, any suggestions for those kinds of novels?

[@Traditz]

there is some science to this. We learn best when we engage our five senses with a problem we face, make mistakes and succeed from our challenges. in books, movies, shows etc allows us to emulate the experiences/challenges of these fictional/non-fictional characters through their stories. In a way, the characters are teachers, by teaching through example. Well said Elizabeth

[@stevenkies802]

I think we read self-help books to engage with reality in a more fulfilling way, so perusing artistic endeavors is a a way of vicariously experiencing that as part of our program. It's like a loner reading fiction with social aspects to ease into a more gregarious lifestyle. It's all about balance. Self-help books give potentially helpful techniques, but is harmful if pursued obsessively to the exclusion of all else. It can lead to consuming self-help as a form of escape, rather than an aid to achieving your goals. Fiction adds to variety of life to prevent falling down that rabbit hole.

She made a video about this! (How to Self Teach Efficiently) very interesting

[@pauloazuela8488]

similar to a Tedtalk about writing storytelling . Your readers do want to work with their meal subconsciously , and your job is to make them work with it. This is why in fiction you have to engage a lot of your senses than self help books that tells you straight what to do. Stories don't do that

[@unknown-10k]

I guess self-help as a concept is good and geniune but when it comes to the the self-help industry then all you find is people selling snake oil..

[@khalilahd.]

Exactly!

[@jiaojiao7756]

lmao

[@thomasbarchen]

Tony Robbins expensive snake - oil.

[@user-te7zz8mv3x]

self help is just problem solving to make your life better! i used to have to remind myself… stop the pity party, what is the real problem? or stop this analysis paralysis and just do something… anything to move forward so that you can reevaluate from a different perspective!

[@daviddrainville4564]

Tony Robbins is a good example of this. A lot has to do with his delivery. He's big, tall, and strong and has a powerful voice and people fall for it. (Just an example)

[@Xarfax321]

I remember reading a book that actually hit me on a nerve. To make a long story short I was subjected to gaslightning in an earlier relationship. Whenever she got angry and slapped me and things, she said it was I who was the problem, I made her do it etc etc.... And at the end I started to believe her, I really was that asshole. Then many years after it was over I stumbled over a book about a person being subjected to the same sort of gaslightning. This person was living alone in a "pocket-universe" and had no recollection of who he was and how he got there. The only friend he had told him several times that he should not break out of that world and find something new. And if someone else was there, this new person is dangerous and should be avoided. This book was Piranesi by Susanne Clarke. And I remember reading it and feeling my heart race! And when I was done with it, tears was rolling down my cheeks and I felt so happy! (because of the ending)

[@ALifeofLearning]

GIRL this is such a good take on self-help vs. literature. I personally think both have great value. Literature indeed gives you more space to interpret life lessons yourself, whereas I do also really appreciate science-based self-help books that give practical tips based on scientific knowledge. But I loved how you gave tips for how you can use literature as a form of self-help.

[@spinthepickle1244]

I agree that both have value. I'm struck with the thought that, just like the challenge of finding a fictional book that resonates with you, it can be equally as challenging to find the RIGHT self-help book. Someone might try something that is great for the majority, but is really damaging to them specifically (due to undiagnosed conditions like ADHD, past trauma, etc). I think people who read fiction are more likely to say, ah, this isn't for me, and reach for something new. Someone seeking help in a selfhelp book may be more inclined to invest a certain amount of trust in the author and assume that their methods should definitely work for them.

[@siadat]

That’s why vlogs and life-update videos are popular. I love watching them for the people I follow, like Ali or yourself. I think people want to *see* for themselves how their respiring virtual friends react to, handle or survive the day-to-day struggles.

[@ArwaHub]

That's true Sina! and we get to feel connected to the souls and humans who have something that is "a little similar to what we have", it could be their view of life or even the way they react when things happen...

[@Unimportant]

After discovering your channel I've really come to appreciate the way you communicate your thoughts. I feel it strikes a very satisfying balance between the extremes I often see in feminine/masculine spaces where one side pushes "you are perfect just the way you are, you don't have to change a thing, everyone else are just blind to how amazing you are" while the other side pushes "you need to self immolate for success at all cost if not you'll become a loser" mentalities. I've gone through a lot of different self help sources and I agree with you that the best lessons come from stories rather than instructions. It can take some extra brainpower to extract the value and meaning from stories, but the lessons you learn yourself are often more applicable to your own situation than strict guidance.

[@tangentort7987]

So well spoken. Self Immolate.

[@MarisaAndChew]

I read a lot of thrillers as I find them relatable (I've had a lot of bad happen) and the recurring theme that stands out for me is to trust my instincts/gut. It rarely leads a person wrong.

[@AndrewWYT]

i fell into that trap of self help because i read a lot of the most popular books, with a lot of life theories to try out. There was so much knowledge i could take action on that i never did because there was so much. i like the method of holding that thought and trying to implement before moving on to anything else

[@lmatheo1138]

I was having the same idea when I later found out that I can actually learn and understand more from fiction books cause you kind of feel the character life along the side.. plus fiction books unlike self help books makes you remember the mistakes and the right ways of solving a problem more than just a dry explanation of a self help book:)

[@rahil_2197]

I really like self help books, there is nothing wrong with them. Reading so many self help books without implementing anything is just useless. 1 book can last you a year if used properly, you have to study it. Self help books just as well as fiction books can change your life and gave life changing advice, they are just written differently and people enjoy different things from one another.

[@notablemind]

I am opposite, and it might have to do with a combination of my age and my temperament - I care about direct, blunt and straight to the point and I don't care much for "story telling" any more. The most influential books for me were some accounting textbooks, business case studies, analog circuit design, and my year 2 electromagnetism textbook. I also like reading the "summaries" of books written by sales people (these are basically self help books, teaching you how to negotiate, how to improve confidence in situation of high uncertainty, tactics to deal with various stereotyped characters in business etc...). I also love listening to lectures of history professors explaining the people and circumstances that led to certain historical developments (eg. I regret reading War and Peace... it was more enjoyable to study specific non-dramatized circumstances and whatever evidence we have to support it). I love studying music theory and creating my own music...music is basically geometry for the ears because it's greatly grounded in math and biology. I enjoy lectures of data scientists designing AI and ML systems that can compose music for humans to enjoy. I also like reading the research reports of psychologists, then speak to audiences I have access to to validate the findings (this is the only time I enjoy stories, when i hear them directly from real people, because I can feel their emotions). Fiction isn't completely off the radar for me, and I might return to it some day if my views on fiction change. But generally, I prefer direct, blunt, dry facts over any statements that are too open to interpretation. If you have something to say, then say it. Don't fluff it up. By keeping things as simple and as direct as possible, you make it easier for people of other cultures to access the same information. Societies around the world can learn so much from each other, so if we keep our information as plain and direct as possible, it greatly increases the ease of access. Again, this is my personal preference, so everyone is different! Keep it direct and factual for greater accessibility and retention!

[@drebugsita]

Wow, truly mind opening! Maybe why I've been so down - relying on self-help books and therapy and inadvertently depriving myself of the arts. Watching this after your video on Naval and his point that the opposite of depression is play. It is a bit ironic giving this information critiquing self-help in a KZbin self-help form 😅. But it works. Thank you!

[@chadblair5974]

The novels of Jane Austen have always been a masterclass in human psychology and relationships, far superior to any analogous self-help books on the subject.

[@nooriman5944]

agreed! persuasion is my favorite

[@catsnfashion80s]

She originally wanted to write off-color novels.

[@hemasomaya5735]

Elizabeth this is the BEST video i've ever seen, i've been stuck in a horribleeee slump for years and turn to self help for a lot of things and this video really chnaged my perspective and i feel so hopeful about things now seriously LOVEE your videos love you you are amazing keep going girlllll❤❤❤❤

[@Radhemerosvamini]

"We may go with not connecting things always with other's experiences and find out ourselves." Probably the best and boldest sentences. Thank you so very much for saying so.

[@mathewalex6171]

Oh, this video was validation! I always soldier through self-help books expecting to find some treasure or sometimes to keep up with others. But in a way, all my book wisdom comes from the classics. I feel like my brain is being massaged by literary beauty while so much layered abstract information is being loaded into it that I can decipher in a lifetime. Thank you for being Elizabeth Filiips and talking to a camera.

[@JoseGarcia-vr8mx]

This is one of the reasons why I feel like there is gold in fiction. Great points Elizabeth, keep it up!

[@furrowsan]

Im like,, rlly inspired from your videos. One thing I like about you is that you help others by sharing and encouraging different and genuine perspectives. I learn a lot from you, so thank you

[@etiancontreras3820]

Out of all the books on money I've read, the one I've gotten the most wisdom from was "The Richest Man of Babylon". It was stories of money wisdom. The "story" is essential for human growth. This is something that Peterson brings up constantly. Excellent work.

[@dariusstuder]

kind of ironic however that Wikipedia Lists as a self help book ;-)

[@channell5343]

thank you for the book recommendation! reading it so far has been more digestible than a textbook

[@MattFrost224]

Peterson is a good man and not like how the media TDSs the public into viewing him. that and Wikipedia is damage control for the WEF.

[@cassieakers8622]

I love this topic! I started reading for fun again around 2017 but all I read were non-fiction. This year, I had a goal to read more books. I picked up the book The Women of Chateau Lafayette, and i fell in love. Learning through stories and detail. I love how poetic it can be. I actually get a lot of value from the art rather than a lecture.

[@creativelym8284]

Elizabeth, your editing is getting/keeps getting so amazing!!🤩 Thank you for your refreshing perspective🌸

[@elijahbuscho7715]

I think the real key is that you need both. It's not enough to learn rules, you need to be able to apply them to experiences, or stories. But also it's not enough to mindlessly enjoy stories without working hard to extract lessons from them.

[@introvertssolitarypursuits3463]

That intro is amazing!!! On to watching the rest of the video

[@jiamingjiang5423]

Spent the whole morning watching your videos one by one. Love you so much! Feel like you are just an extraverted version of myself ❤

[@jayekt1328]

Listening to you it’s like hearing my thoughts and experiences out loud and organized! Amazing job!🎉

[@adivnyjanko5484]

For me it's better when I see my fictional character dealing with different challenges in his life then just do this and don't do that, like in self-help books.

[@ArwaHub]

Not all self help books show the actual work we need to put in, I think we all have enough information right now and all we need is doing the work, I am feeling enthusiastic to join such community of thinkers to share our ideas and opinions! I liked when she wrote "professional advice receiver" hhhhh THIS IS ME!

[@cellno.7]

"we all have enough information right now and and all we need is doing the work." Felt that

[@lanayashina]

This video should have more views. It's spot on. Also it inspired me as an artist because it reminded that art is useful. Thank you.

[@pepejjgl]

Every time I read Science fiction specially on Space" I found that solving problem after another. The struggle of characters and their determination on leave behind the first problem and go to the next situation. And something similar on "Journey to the center of the earth" if they didn't trust in the situation, maybe they'd never get out. I still read something like Stoicism but I understand on your topic 100%. Waiting for your own book Liz. Have a blast.

[@daniqsaa]

Oh self help would be the shortcut and fiction would be the more meaningful (growth-fostering) path. I'd never seen it like that! Thank you for another thought-provoking video 🤩

[@bluwng]

Stop thanking people, go out and do, you will adjust accordingly. The entire world is either cursing or complementing but they are not doing.

[@daniqsaa]

@@bluwng 🤔

[@mohammedphilonous6856]

thank you Elizabeth for this beautiful method. I never really looked at fictional books this way, I mean I just enjoyed them as a separate realm and journey, and it ends as soon as I finish the last sentence of a work. Thank you.

[@BooksByAdrian]

I've always shared your opinion that fiction is as good or BETTER than self-help books, but I've never heard anyone put it quite so well! I'm immediately hooked on your channel. Who does your editing? This was outstanding

[@user-ln5eh5nc1g]

Thank you so much for this well formulated concept! It is what I felt but could nor formulate. When I read fiction it really transforms me, when I see art it affects me much harder than any self help book.

[@harshava316]

Every video of yours gives me a new perspective and helps me look at things differently and that, makes my life so much better and gives me a greater idea of the world around me. Thank you

[@jimmybasilio3510]

And that 1.5x speed and now i can adjust it to -0.5x

[@FrenshPerfume]

I truly admire your idea. As a student of English Literature I love the stories we read, learn, and the historical periods we go through. Even though they're lovable, to me, I found it difficult to utilise them in my life. However, I have been one of those who hated self-help books and seminars anything that popularity and see no obvious change in them I just feel negative feelings toward them. By days I found myself in the quest for those books, yes they gave great feeling, teach a lot, and you gain great vision, but we still struggle again how to apply them to our personal lives. Later, I've been guided to consciousness and spiritual books and oh goodness, they break the puzzly finally. Thank God now I got CLARITY! Yes, Unfotunalty, most self-help books are filled with the same ideas, yet, the same thing can happen with non-fictional books, I think this is could happen with all categories! What I think, fictional, non-fictional, self-help, consciousness, spiritual, literature, and poetry, all provide a GREAT knowledge for oneself which in turn affects humanity, we need them all. However, still, a personal choice what to take what not to, what is suitable for a certain stage ...etc I am thankful for all those sitting down the summing up their knowledge, experience, visions, behind the scenes of their achievements, their deepest pain, and feelings, ... etc in papers, that's magnificent, I'm sure every single book has its readership. nowadays we're blessed there're tens of ways in which a person can choose the book that serves them well or tackle the issue they're in, it's never a problem anymore. There're tens of good books on the market nowadays, I love the fact of being curious to know and find out more and more. I would love to be an open person to all books and knowledge that we're blessed with in our time.

[@zegadrive8201]

play @ 0.75 speed. You might like it as I do because, you know, some things are rather to be enjoyed slowly...🤗

[@johncross7410]

A most enjoyable, and insightful, video. Thank you, Elizabeth - you never disappoint.

[@karolinexpat3772]

I was so amazed by you that I wanted to leave a comment too! I adore the way you articulate your thoughts. I love they way you speak and think. I can relate myself to your thoughts and feelings. I came across your channel by chance and I loved it from the very first phrases I heard. I also want to say that I love your paintings and I can't wait to see more. Keep up with posting videos. They are very inspiring for me ❤

[@keneryaneshetu8630]

every detail here, from each opinion to your speed talking, is exactly similar to me. I am more than glad at least someone in the world showed me that some people are born to reality and have the ability of recognition of beautiful things that that are so little and so undermined. thankyou

[@aspynk1198]

I love this, it has showed my how to benefit & learn from all books 📚 & gifted a different perspective. Thank you Elizabeth

[@profilters1535]

The editing of this video is superb!!! Liz you did so well!!

[@cookingwiththehaitiantwist]

You pointed out some great arguments for your stand. It’s true that analyzing a fiction book to come up with our own conclusion creates more meaningful life lessons than those that are readily given to us. It’s also one of the reasons why I love sci-Fi tv shows and movies. I am always amazed by how the writers present an accurate and profound description of human nature and their prospective reactions to a certain situation. Sci-Fi can be a great source of lessons for what could happen in the future, and how to live in the moment in order to maximize our chance of survival later on in life. We can learn about the characters thought processes, and we can also find ourselves in some of them, learned from their mistakes, and relate to other people who are different from us with much more compassion. I totally agree with your argument. But both self-help and fictions have their benefits. Self-help books could be a quick boost to restore the mind and spirit in moment of distress, while fiction/sci-Fi, could be the perfect resources to bolster our critical thinking ability, and find a sense of comfort and creativity in someone else’s imagination or life experience.

[@savageantelope3306]

I love this take because there's so many more entertaining fiction books that I've enjoyed but also missed out on reading by consuming self-help books, and we've learned since we where kids y'know that every story has a lesson and there's infinite amounts more of them then in self-help books along with just useful realizations about the world

[@sabchatelain5249]

Good evening Elizabeth. Thanks a lot for your awesome videos and newsletters. I especially love your way of seeing how to learn and the fact that you share it the way you do. It’s very inspiring to me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m french or because, as you speak, I need myself to think about it too, but I sometimes slow down your videos or just listen to them a second time. 😋 Have a wonderful end of the week☺️

[@SimingLan]

this made me want to appreciate more the beauty of literature and art. great message!

[@kathrineadajar8724]

People are different, and its nice to know how you view it. For some self help works, others love fiction, or arts etc. And you talk so fast! lol, It really shows that there's a lot you want to share! Keep it coming.

[@alancook9102]

You have the gift of being so usefully different. A so practical originality. And you have the self belief to say what you know, deep inside you, is true. You couldn't not be impressive. And you are. Very!

[@119alias]

I don’t know where was your channel hidden. I am addicted. Thank you.

Loved your insights. Exactly what i needed to hear today. Thank you :)

[@barrygormley3986]

Self-help books- Catchy title; tons spent on marketing; 30-40 pages that are a mix of the author's life story and promises about the type of awesome life you're going to have because of this book. Followed by page after page of word count fluff peppered with the occasional piece of semi-decent advice. Philosophy and literature- Look what they need to mimic a fraction of our power!

[@natl3118]

Loved the video!!

[@TheSabotaje]

Great thoughts I remembered myself when I didn’t know about self help, I enjoyed life in a different way But I also have to admit that self help taught me various different important life concepts which I wouldn’t be able to grasp from books

[@ioanavoine]

Love this!

[@ChanpreetSpeaks]

4 Min in m captivated! This is one of the best videos i ever watched’!! I 💯agree! U put into words wt i hav felt & done always. I don’t read fictional books bt i do watch movies & series & connect with the characters n their experiences on a much deeper level & try to find wisdom in there, even as a kid! And even with non-fiction books u made me realise , all the books that i read usually have some deep lessons, real stories! Now i know why I don’t like self-help books😂 at least not the dry ones!!

[@xyz-hw7so]

thank you so so much for this video. it'll really help me explain to people why i love fiction books

[@jujuleslen]

I loved the thought that a part of healing is actually connecting with other people's experience of going through the same stuff, and that self-help books often really lack that, offering us just another way of alienation.

[@noia888]

this was so good! thank you for making the case for fiction books. White teeth by zadie smith is one of my favourite books and it has so many important life lessons in it. it is also a great book for 'wait, do I wanna live my life like these people?' much easier to internalise a lesson if it is tied to emotions. btw, I love your editing style, and the fact that your videos are short

[@leeriding3746]

Maybe we all go through an 'insight addiction' phase, which is an interesting time in our lives but once you realise that 99 out of 100 self-help books will make no difference, it's kind of deflating. 'Think & Grow Rich' and 'How To Win Friends & Influence People' and a few other classics are maybe the exception to the rule but I now agree with what you are saying. It's only taken me 44 years and this video of yours to work this out. We do learn better when all of our senses are turned on.

[@christianemichelberger8245]

You're brilliant! Thank you.

[@LeTepiron]

At first I thought I played the video at 1.5x but no! Girl, you talk so fast and so clear!! Wow, amazing

[@charitamiacacho5100]

This gives me a lot of realization 💯 Thanks for this!

[@rodolfoclaren6528]

Reading some old literature fiction can be really enlightening. Many lessons can be learned from those books and, besides, you get tons of fun.

[@MM-yd7rj]

love this vid!!!

[@HollyAnn]

I feel silly for not considering the fact that I do learn from character driven fiction stories!! I’m obsessed with watching films. Especially as someone who grew up in a small town and wasn’t allowed to leave the house… I felt like I was only able to learn about the “real world” through watching movies and tv. I would love to read more fiction though it’s harder to find stuff that sounds interesting as an adult. I have over a hundred nonfiction recommendations but seldom am recommended good fiction. I will try and find some book recs on your website! Thank you for the insightful videos.

[@Testchannel_2]

Your video edits are top notch. Love it.

[@blaustein_autor]

I was really happy when Lonely Island released their "YOLO" song. Because it shows how random and stupid and most of all hollow "You only live once" really is: It is not at all consequential to start consuming and dancing and party because your life-span is limited. The fact that your life is short can just as well mean that you should not actively contribute to making it even shorter. And there is a huge gray area between being caught in self-optimization and staying healthy and somewhat organized.

[@amerikatt]

This is, hands down, your best video!

[@ARA-ee9yr]

I admire how incredibly deep your analysis is and how it makes your personal insight more impactful in turn! Lovely thanks to you :) 🐌

[@michaelrivers4863]

Great content! I really appreciate your point of view on this. I have spent many hours consuming content in the self-help/personal development space, much of which has been very insightful, practical, and applicable. From my perspective, a person Googling anything in this space begins with "how to" which by its nature is kinda dry, direct, clinical, etc. For me, that type of presentation works well. I saw another video of yours describing your approach to studying MS... if memory serves me. In that you go on to tell us how you must create a story or use an existing story around it, in a way anchoring it to memory, making it easier to tap into. To me you seem to be a creative and very much a romantic. No shade thrown, but I am commenting because your approach to this space is very unique, very intriguing for me. I have not thought to give sh/pd content a narrative, a fictional account, to personalize it. I kinda have always taken the lessons at face value. But this is refreshing. Again, thank you for your perspective on this.

[@helenabivar88]

Thank you for getting me back into reading fiction, guilt free. It had always made me happy and reinvigorated.

[@beefree64]

Thank you. Great video.

[@guchigal3007]

Continued learning about how my brain works has led me here and I daresay you are absolutely right.....I have so many self help books and never understood why they did not apply to me and never worked for me. At some point i stopped reading self help altogether. On the other hand I love fiction and stories are the best way I learn so much more as i can relate to the characters on a deeper level.

[@IISilverWood]

I loooove your videos!

[@Phuqem]

For me at the shrug was the best self-help book and help me to make adjustments and changes to myself but also gave me insights to why other people do what they do when sometimes it doesn't seem to make sense

[@Gazalii]

Amazing insight, opened my mind to a different perspective.

[@helpletmego4216]

this is the second video of yours that I'm watching and seeing the office reference, and I'm just gonna (gladly) assume that your every video has it 😁

[@raeskorner]

My gods, I love the way you think. I’ve always found a more salient form of self help in fiction than I have in the usual self help book. There were some I liked, but never finished. But I’ve almost always finished a good fiction book-especially if it’s helped me gain new perspectives or to make more sense of the world around me.

[@zozsarhan9815]

You're awesome! Wish you all the best.

[@4th_Disciple]

great editing, seamless.

[@119alias]

I agree totally with you. Finally someone has the same idea!

[@amokbel]

I looove this video. Interesting perspective.

[@alexandruteodor3585]

Random KZbin suggestion, but I'm glad I've watched this😃. I completely agree with you, I feel like I learn more about myself and other people in reading a fiction book than from a self-help one. A fiction book is much more fun to read and I can get inspired by a character as opposed to reading a dull text, that is mostly based on lies (like `I was poor and ill at some young age, but all of a sudden I realized I had to change and all of a sudden I became strong willed out of thin air` etc.). And the first chapter in all self help books says in many words that `this book is the solution to all your problems` followed by the appeal to greed. So I don't usually read self help books 😁. But I appreciate non fiction books based on science and a genuine pursuit of truth, my favorite non fiction authors being Sam Harris and Robert Sapolsky. That being said, I am a fantasy reader. I especially love Joe Abercrombie's and Michael R. Fletcher's work. Their novels are such a complex dive into the human psychology. I highly recommend anyone reading their books. The First Law especially, Glokta might be the best written character in all literature. Quotes that would be very dry in a non fiction book are so much powerful and inspiring when reading the stories of Logen Ninefingers or Sand dan Glokta: `Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it` or ` we must work with the tools we have`. P.S. I had to listen at 0.75 speed, lol.

[@lutherdean6922]

thanks for sharing this, fantastic

[@RifatErdemSahin]

Loved the intro Elizabeth

[@fwwaller]

4:05 if we're hardwired to enjoy beauty then I appreciate seeing you so much in your videos.

[@arthurschopenhauer3173]

Very helpful video! Thanks!

[@lizabouvet3240]

Love this video ! I actually do this but really not as much in depth as you do ! I tend to pick more global themes like « Cinderella is Dead makes us question how the stories we built our communities with and tell ourselves shape us » and « in Loveless we learn a lot about love and how love can be expressed and how platonic love has so much values » but I never really broke them down... perhaps I will

[@shakeelahmed8902]

I would say self help books really helped me in life for eg - Think and grow rich and Atomic habits which I keep re-reading. Yes reading too many self help books are not worth anything. One should stop after reading only one book that resonates with his/her life and move on from self help.

[@WestTexasGothic]

You had me at adrienne marie brown!!! Stoked to hear other people talking about her.

[@hamilton2305]

Communication is Head to head and communion is heart to heart. Love 💕 n light XOXO 😘😘💋

[@bellaluce7088]

Counterpoint: I'm GRATEFUL there are people willing to invest countless hours gaining expertise in a subject then summarizing key information in a format that's clear, organized, and easy to locate & afford. GOOD JOB, quality self-help authors! You've hugely improved my life, and I appreciate you! 🤓❤✍📚

[@CapucineAbadie]

ohhh boy I always knew that we'd have a really great tipsy conversation if we ever met in a pub, but these are literally all my opinions! give them back!

[@me.0123]

Couldn't agree more. This is actually the beauty of fictional books that everyone can relate to them in their own way. Nothing can be more helpful than your own thoughts.

[@buzzywork]

Just look how lively Elizabeth looks in the video, she really looks genuine!

[@user-pr1st5rh9r]

You speak fast enough that i dont need to increase the speed.Really impressive!🙌🏻

[@roshanajith7169]

This girl talking to my soul.♥️