Forget self-help, read more fiction.

[@ofbooksandthings]

Reading fiction and creative non-fiction, essays and memoirs is 100x more impactful and life-changing than books in the self-help genre, with only a few notable exceptions I’m sure!

[@keithparker1346]

The trouble with self help books is they have 1 or 2 good ideas fluffed up to fit 300 pages

[@skeeter-q4q]

Exactly!!

[@ModernConversations]

Those kinds of self help books are written by people who don't enjoy reading, to make a quick buck off of suckers who won't read it, on the assumption that nobody actually reads anything. It probably depresses publishers to work with those properties.

[@katgreer6113]

publishers love quick bucks too.

[@ModernConversations]

@katgreer6113 true But its so hard to have to explain to your significant others the cynical view of the world that has calcified in the seat of your soul. Once, there was something that motivated a choice to go into publishing rather than finance, and it later died, and it must have been followed by disillusionment.

[@عبدالرحمنحربي1نمبر]

True with many and I mean many books but there a few gems that are actually worth it

[@diorblunt]

Great video man, I completely agree with you and have felt the same way for a while. Stephen King says “fiction is the truth within the lie”, there is so much to be learned from reading literature, a life altering amount really. Those that scoff fiction off as mere storybooks just haven’t experienced the deep impact good writing can have on you. Also, nice shirt.

[@jaypratt5782]

I tried to read more books when I first started my journey of reading. I didn't choose fiction because I believed it was a waste of time. However, reading nonfiction books I found was very boring and wordy. My very first genere of reading was political/government. I can not stress enough how boring and wordy those books were. There are times I could not even comprehend what I was reading because I would lose focus, and it was soooo wordy! Now, I am going to fiction to see if I can stay committed to the journey of reading.

[@RobinCookk]

i wouldn’t discount non fiction entirely, only self help. those books are usually just one idea taken from a philosophy text and reworded so it takes up a couple hundred pages. I’d suggest reading the primary texts of philosophers instead

[@hamz7044]

I absolutely agree with you. The Lord of the Rings series has impacted me more than any self-help book. It definitely deserves a place on your book recommendation list.

[@TheRadevs]

You are so right! I am reading a fantasy series right now and find myself finding so many parallels with my real life than when reading a self-help book. I identify much more woth some stories from the fantasy than with the very often exaggerated and unrelatable inpersonality of the self-help books. Fiction brings me much more insights and makes me think about different aspects of the human condition. My experience reading fantasy feels strangely validated now so thank you for the video!

[@EriPages]

Excellent suggestion, brother. This is probably far more effective!

[@AwkwardCheesecake]

As soon as you started I was thinking about The Way of Kings. One of the best things about The Way of Kings and Sanderson's books in general is that he writes characters that feel real with real problems that don't get solved at the end. Kaladin doesn't magically have his depression removed when he becomes a hero, he just learns to be a hero in spite of it. And it's a recurring thing throughout the Sanderson series. It does bug me in fiction books when a hero is written as depressed, anxious, etc. and after the hero's journey they just magically are all better. The Mistborn trilogy is another great fantasy series that follows a character with a lot of trauma, resulting in paranoia, anxiety, etc. Through the trilogy there is an immense amount of personal growth that happens in a way that feels real, not "Oh I got powers now I don't have to be scared anymore" that happens so often in fiction. Also I'm finishing up the Licanius trilogy and that is another great one. One of the characters is someone with great power struggling to process the horrific things they have done in the past and striving to become a better person while still taking responsibility for their actions.

[@yourlocaltoad5102]

Most people who read self help books don’t want to help themselves, they just like to consume content that gives them the feeling of improvement. They read these books, but don’t ever pause to incorporate the ideas in them into their lives. It’s like trying to loose weight by reading healthy recipes, but never by actually going into a caloric deficit. But when you read good stories, you actually see the ideas play out and they are easier to digest. It’s the same reason why philosophical and moral teachings were most commonly told through parables and stories. It just makes it significantly easier to understand and internalise them.

[@Omnidragon00]

I stopped reading self-help books when I realized they were all the same. While they were initially helpful in providing new perspectives, I learned they had the same ideas but written differently. Even though I think it's great to explain similar ideas in easier-to-understand ways, it becomes an issue when that is all someone reads. I recently started reading philosophy, books on spirituality, fiction, and non-fiction books (ie. science books and autobiographies). Those books have bigger impacts on me than ones telling me to better time manage, man-up, anything is possible, etc.

[@gonaye1]

I lost my brother back in 2004 and strangely thought about Harry Potter a LOT when he passed. Book 3 (Azkaban) had made it to theatres right when he passed, and a year later Book 6 (Half-Blood Prince) was published. So many experiences Harry was going through on film and on paper resonated with me. I don’t know why but seeing Harry lose his own loved ones and allowing his friends (especially Luna Lovegood) to cheer him up as he grieved really meant a lot to me. It gave me the courage to go full Samwise Gamgee and just get back to living - once all the tears for the day had been shed. I also remember rewatching Kiki’s Delivery Service a few years after my brother passed and seeing Kiki’s journey in a completely new light. The energy that comes from seeing life in a fresh new perspective are a truly special kind of magic. Funny how stories (even fictional ones) can be so cathartic and healing, and can understand us in ways we can hardly articulate within ourselves.

[@wesrezio]

Thank you for sharing ❤️ sending you all the love. And I agree, most of my moving and memorable reads are fictional stories.

[@maxwell3578]

I agree with the title, I started on self help books but now I must say fiction is 10x more better.

[@skylark1772]

You are spot on. I see I’m not alone in realizing this. Watching the character development and learning behind the scenes and seeing yourself in a character is way more beneficial especially when the writer uses solid heroes journey to resolve the issues. I use annotating to self help.

[@myloveistoblame9227]

When youtube's algorithm finally works 🙏🏻 Also that "because it's boring af" while closing the book was really funny 😂😂😂 and you went ahead and explained what I've been thinking so well 🙌🏻

[@oofym353]

Couldn't agree more, ive learnt more or atleast discovered more meaning from fiction. Frankenstein as an example made me think more about 'playing god' and the need for empathy than anything else has. Not to mention authors like Dostoevsky who are about as essential to the field of philosophy as people like Freud are. Plus fiction is more fun!

[@MinvydasNekrasas]

I recently started reading and I found myself liking fiction more. Nevertheless, I was trying to read more nonfiction, because I thought that it will have greater benefit. But your arguments make a lot of sense and made my mind at ease. I will read more fiction because the stories stick more than heartless guides on how to live life:)

[@Khazalla111]

Your video was so pleasing to hear ! Carry on, i guess college was a hard path for lots of us, hope you’re doing better now, looking forward to other videos

[@yunaa_vlogs]

I totally agree with the points, i like self help but fiction is a whole lot more better for me and helps inspire my art, whether fiction books or movies, i hope this video gets more popular 🎉

[@wesrezio]

I agree and thank you!

[@GerryThePigeon]

Currently reading Project Hail Mary and I am loving it. Speaking of which you put two project Hail Mary photos instead of one being the Martian

[@nikkimetztli9629]

Liked this a lot, your approach to a video about fiction was creative and unique. Definitely needed. Thanks for the recommendations too. More videos like this!

[@yunyun5732]

I like where you are filming it must feel so nice

[@mildrumpus]

Love this book! I discovered your channel through this video. Happy Reading! 😎📚👍

[@wesrezio]

Wow thank you! 🙏

[@seppuku-]

I completely agree with this, i’ve been intrigued in self help books, especially when I first got into reading for my own enjoyment. But I came to find out it was such a slog to get through, fiction on the other hand i’ve read a three to four hundred page book in 12 hours. It’s so much more fun, and I get so much more out of it.

[@myself2noone]

I'm not a huge self-help guy, but non-fiction is fascinating. Fish biology? Biochemistry? The evolution of compassion? The science of trust? You might find that boring, but i think a good book on these subjects is super cool. I'd rather listen to Richard Dawkins explain compassion over trying to figure out what the hell Steven Erikson has to say about it.

[@Farbensterben]

I think you'd enjoy the Suneater series, as it also is sci-fi with heavy fantasy elements. Also Malazan Book of the Fallen, at least if you are okay with books not doing a lot of hand holding and being okay with not getting everything at the time you're reading it. 😂

[@ashappyasiget140]

The worst nonfic book I read was the art of seduction. None of the tips mentioned in that book is going to help you get or keep a girl. But you said it all ❤

[@keithparker1346]

Wasn't that Robert Greene? Tbh dating is related to your physical attractiveness not character or personality.if you're struggling you're probably average looking or ugly...it's that simple...but writing a book saying there's really not much you can do other than improve your looks isn't going to sell

[@ashappyasiget140]

@@keithparker1346 yup. He's a nice person but the content of the book is a bit screwed up.

[@chilledoutorange4269]

Indeed, non-fiction books are extremely repetitive and shallow. Blog posts bloated to book length. Along with fiction, I've found reading actual philosophy to be so much better at serving self-help purposes (among others). I'm reading Nietzsche right now and the density of the writing, the thought put into the prose, and the deeply self-reflective mood it puts me under is something no self-help book could hope to equal. If you have the patience and willingness to do so, I would highly recommend giving genuine philosophy a shot.

[@boldenggar]

You bring up good points, but I would advice that people do both. Of course do what you want, but I for example like to read 1 hour of non-fiction in the morning while taking notes ✍️ on actionable things I can implement to better my life. While before bed I read 1 hour of fiction to wind down before sleep 😴. Stormlight Archive is great. Finished Oathbringer and the things you find out are crazy 😧. Would recommend the Faithfull and Fallen by John Gwynne if you like a hero's journey type stories. I am currently reading the last book Wrath.

[@scg8687]

I just love fiction books, Life is teaching me a lot that i really need some fiction now...😂😂😂

[@ruud6828]

I had a non fiction phase in late middle school, but even then it was nietzsche and 48 laws of power. I cant imagine reading these awful self help books. But somehow this is what “men” are supposed to read. I recommend, “these small things” by Claire Keegan.

[@wesrezio]

thanks for the rec!

[@katgreer6113]

i still think its ridiculous that certain books are assigned "genders"

[@myself2noone]

​@@katgreer6113They're not. This is a description, not a prescription. "Men tend to be more interested in this kind of book" is about the extent of it.

[@katlamb4606]

Just here to say Amen!

[@chrismodski6284]

Mmm. Wise, this one is. Dispose of the postmodernist nonsense and indulge the power of thoughtful narrative. Fantasy is all good and well, and I recommend as someone who grew up on Dragonlance. But for a real mind-opening shock, read the classics. You'll learn about humanity and history in ways you didn't realize were being recorded. In those old novels you'll find astonishing history, humor, and thought. And sometimes you'll realize after reading something - you'll realize that even today we're still struggling with [this or that], but it's really an ages-old debate, and only [this much] progress has been made! My favorite is 1800s fiction. The whole Western World was blooming with literary masters. From the highly structured (Dickens, Dostoyevsky) to the experimental (Twain, Poe), it's a treat for the mind, and a journey full of great characters. For anyone suffering from depression due to technology, a well-written novel is definitely therapeutic. You can feel it as you read - your mind opens up in different ways. From time to time, you'll also stumble upon original character archetypes that are still used today, and that's so cool... you feel like you discovered something nobody else noticed, and you'd generally be correct. There's plenty to love in all centuries. Hemingway is a writer like no other. Heck. Real literature is a moveable feast for the mind and soul. End of ramblings... I just get excited when the subject is up and I can freely extoll the benefits of reading without feeling too out of place.

[@germainelo3369]

Perhaps you can try this book (The well gardened mind) if you enjoy nature, and real life examples, with a bit of imagination and brilliant story telling, it might suit you.

[@germainelo3369]

The restful mind, is another one if you have interest towards spiritualism. Short book that provokes many thoughts.

[@tommydaape3412]

I've been reading self help books after consuming a bunch of self help stuff via social media and man is it fucking boring. I cannot wait to finish 48 laws of power so I can just consume media that I more genuinely enjoy. The self help book I learned the most from, The Courage to be Disliked, is written in the form of a story in which a philosopher slowly instills his philosophy in a young man who resists and actively tries to fight against learning. No amount of advice, no matter how good it is, can match the feeling of actually being touched or moved by a well-written story, bonus points if the story contains a character that you can learn a lot from and model parts of yourself after.

[@keithparker1346]

Fiction appeals to the emotions and so will have more impact

[@keithparker1346]

I would ditch 48 Laws as it's bs

[@rahabintemotiul]

I know I'm late but hard agree

[@aninjatuna8576]

Great book

[@TheMikenanners]

I also highly recommend Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series if you love epic fantasy and believable characters who suffer (a lot), it's probably my favourite series especially when you get to its second trilogy. I think my favourite genre of fiction might be southern gothic literature - Flannery O'Connor; William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy etc. but I love so many others, and as your video communicates they remain way more therapeutic and 'helpful' to me in a deeper and far more effective sense than this overly commercialised slop 'self-help' genre of bad prose, diminishing returns and false promises. The author of that 'Subtle Art' book is just some vacuous and mean-spirited bully cashing in on his KZbin grift - certainly not some insightful or enlightened person anyone should be looking to emulate.

[@wanmuizzmahmood]

same same same😂i learn a lot from fictions and yeah self-help books are boring asf maybe i’ll get into it when i 50 or some lol

[@AlxR21]

I'm afraid I don't agree with you, I read "Percy Jackson" before "The subtle art..." and I don't think self help or more like philosophical books such as these are repetitive if the writers are honestly trying to help. I've also read "Mistborn" by Sanderson and Kelsier's journey is one I deeply relate to. However take any book from authors such as Adam Grant, Austin Kleon, Elizabeth Gilbert and much more and I highly doubt that you would be bored. It's the way the book is written and the ideas representation that makes any book intriguing or boring and not the genre. But hey that's my opinion.

[@wesrezio]

@@AlxR21 thank you for sharing your thoughts 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@Redouan_El_Moussaoui]

finally i am not crazy to say so

[@Iamhuman2_dude]

Hey how about science fiction? Because I read a lot of science fiction and I mean a lot

[@wesrezio]

Some of the smartest books I've ever read are sci-fi. I think asking yourself what you've learned after each book is a great start

[@keithparker1346]

I think if you want to grasp the weirdness of modern life the books by Philip K Dick are essential

[@user-xirigm539]

Self help books and videos are pointless after reading and watching them couple times. Same thing said 900 times.

[@RubenSoler]

That is one of the poor, selfish, and empty books that I've ever read. It is full of pseudo-psychology. I think the same, let's read more fiction and learn from the writers, plots and characters.

[@elimorgan3208]

life of pi life of pi life of pi!!

[@Realyash]

True

[@wonderworld1928]

True!

[@Armedwithamindtx]

subbed to get you out of 666 lol

[@eruiluvatar6688]

But the way of kings is more boring that non fiction, how do you power through all that exposition