Home 5 Articles and Reports 5 American writer Mark Manson: Self-development Books Offer Nothing but Illusions!

American writer Mark Manson: Self-development Books Offer Nothing but Illusions!

by | Nov 14, 2019 | Articles and Reports

Mark Manson advised thousands of young visitors of 38th Sharjah International Book Fair, to get out of “comfort zone” as soon as possible and choose right challenges for them, eventually, they would feel that they deserve to suffer when reap benefits.

At a seminar titled “Art of Indifference: New Definition of Success Foundations” Manson said that through his book,” Art of Indifference: Living a Life that Contradicts Familiar”, he aimed at redefining concepts such as “self-help” and “self-development”. Such concepts, in fact, do not solve any problem, but delude them that “they are solving their problems.”

“All self-help books come with attractive headlines” he added; such as “Do this and you will be happy”, ignoring fact that if you have a bad definition of success, there will be no importance or value to any steps to follow and succeed in your life.

Manson found out that from the beginning of his way, reading books on self-help and self-development, he realized that they offer nothing but illusions. Such facts inspired Manson to write his first book, against writings of “self-help” and “self-development”, and publish a book in self-help about pain, suffering and challenges; since they make the succeeded man, not few steps for a happy life.

The writer criticized those, who give young people tips, such as “Be happy and chase your dream and follow your passion”, stressing that man must overcome his obsession with perfection, and focus on the skills he possesses and develop.

Manson said he always challenged himself not to repeat them, revealing that many of those who loved his first book did not like the second, because it gave them something new other than what they loved, where they put themselves in “comfort zone.”

Recent News

25Jun
Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece. Having misread the tidal schedules, on the way back Orwell mistakenly piloted the boat […]

25Jun
Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin UK CEO Tom Weldon is the latest inheritor of the Penguin brand which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  In a thoughtful article in the Bookseller he noted that founder Allen Lane’s vision for his revolutionary line of cheap paperbacks was both “missionary and mercenary”.  He wanted to grow the market, but to […]

25Jun
Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks and fiction drove publishing growth in 2024, according to new figures released by the UK Publishers Association.  Audiobook revenue was £268 million which is the highest ever and up 31% on 2023. Fiction is up 18%, bringing in revenue of over £1 billion for the first time.  Digital formats were a key driver of […]

Related Posts

When literature deceived us

When literature deceived us

In a world dominated by fictional success it is of no surprise that the literary field had its fair share of ‘fictional’ claims that were successful in fooling people, well, until they were exposed. The Hitler Diaries In 1983, the German magazine Stern shocked the...

Has the Magic of Harry Potter Faded?

Has the Magic of Harry Potter Faded?

When J.K. Rowling placed the final period at the end of the seventh Harry Potter novel in 2007, many believed the magical world had closed its doors, and that the orphan boy’s adventures, who once defied death, would end with the last words of The Deathly Hallows....

Sofia: Europe’s Quiet Reading Capital

Sofia: Europe’s Quiet Reading Capital

As Europe’s tourism landscape shifts toward authentic, experience-rich travel, Sofia, Bulgaria, stands apart—not with extravagance, but with quiet intellect. This is a city that doesn’t overwhelm visitors with flash. It invites them to read between the lines. Literary...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this