Forget self improvement

I mostly agree with the author's message that we spend far too much time trying to "improve" ourselves through knowledge-seeking, rather than simply doing.

However, simply "doing what you love" ignores the reality that our level of interest and passion waxes and wanes, and sometimes willpower is needed to pull us through those times where we're waiting for our feelings to "catch up" with what our mind knows to be true (that we really do love something). I've been a runner for two decades now and genuinely love the pleasure of an intense puke-worthy workout, but some days running doesn't immediately fall under the category of "doing what I love", until I coax myself to get out there and take a few steps.

He does touch on another great point, which is man's want for eternal significance - that desire to be known long after he is dead. It often does manifest itself as an increasing incline on the treadmill of "achievement".

It's all very simple. The trick to always succeeding is to take all your failures and make yourself think they're successes. If you can't fail, you've got no fear. Being delusional or mentally/emotionally unstable helps.

I agree with a bit here (doing what you love) and disagree with a whole lot more. I'll just make two quick points.

First, self improvement is a broad area that covers many topics. How can the author discuss one topic, make a vague claim, and then dismiss the whole area?

Second, things in life are rarely black and white. Saying 'forget self improvement' is like saying 'self improvement is the most important thing in the world'. Both stick to one end of the spectrum. What is right probably lies somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, and changes depending upon the person.

Heh, is that like "Those that cannot do, teach"?

As I always say- What about those that cannot teach?