The grandfather of modern self-help

#1

Post by flummox » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 4:52 AM UTC

The grandfather of modern self-help
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Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#2

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 3:51 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#3

Post by pessimizer » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 4:38 PM UTC

Might be more accurate to say that he's the grandfather of modern business productivity/sales advice works. I'd say that the secret grandfathers of modern self-help are Jose Silva and his Silva Mind Control, along with Werner Erhard of est and Hubbard's Scientology. It was of course highly influenced by that sort of productivity advice through Holiday Magic/Leadership Dynamics, but was also very influenced by Theosophy through a science fiction lens that turned everything once supernatural psychic.

That's how we end up with all of these mind-training, success-mindset works that make up most of self-help now. It's a weird culty stew.

edit: Mill is a more noble origin for modern self-help than it deserves. His descendant is How to Win Friends and Influence People which is altogether more wholesome, more akin to Scouting (note Carnegie's constant advocacy of Toastmasters.) Modern self-help is trying to convince you that you can hypnotize people, memorize books, learn languages in a month, build billion dollar businesses, and bend probability through sheer concentration and adherence to miracle systems and new psychologies explained in listicles.

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#4

Post by bennysomething » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 5:30 PM UTC

Stopped reading after there's a lot to cristise: "white males" or something like that. For heaven's sake it's western Europe a few hundred years ago. How is that relavent!? Suppose they needed to get some virtue signalling in there some how.

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#5

Post by cubano » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 5:39 PM UTC

In my opinion, the first self-help book was the Bible.

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#6

Post by johnchristopher » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 5:44 PM UTC

cubano wrote: post #5

In my opinion, the first self-help book was the Bible.

Would you elaborate ? And highlight what makes the Bible a self-help book and why similar and older written texts don't qualify ?

Not getting into a theological debate but in the context of the Bible help is usually considered to come from outside the self. (although there are interesting conversations to have about that)

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#7

Post by jcrben » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 6:27 PM UTC

Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle comes to mind. Everything in moderation

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#8

Post by markhollis » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 6:40 PM UTC

I remember the documentary 'The Century of the Self' where Adam Curtis talked about the origins of personal development and self-help.

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#9

Post by eitland » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 7:50 PM UTC

cubano wrote: post #5

In my opinion, the first self-help book was the Bible.

I enjoy the Bible myself but I don't think it fits in this context.

One might possibly make an exception for the Proverbs: it is a gold mine for productivity, but it is still not written in the (often) annoying form of modern self help.

Re: The grandfather of modern self-help

#10

Post by Torwald » Sat, Sep 25, 2021, 8:25 PM UTC

pessimizer wrote: post #3

Might be more accurate to say that he's the grandfather of modern business productivity/sales advice works. I'd say that the secret grandfathers of modern self-help are Jose Silva and his Silva Mind Control, along with Werner Erhard of est and Hubbard's Scientology. It was of course highly influenced by that sort of productivity advice through Holiday Magic/Leadership Dynamics, but was also very influenced by Theosop…

The works you cite are all comparatively late. Even the theosophists came earlier. If the title is "granfather of modern self-help" we cannot be later than 1920s.