Self-Help Writers Need To Check Their Privilege
Too many authors preach to those desperate for change, but have never gone through the meat grinder themselves
After college, a lot of my friends moved to New York or D.C. and quickly found the success they were looking for. They became doctors, lawyers, actors, musicians, and artists who actually sold paintings. And over the years, as they continued pushing forward in their careers, they always gave me the same advice:
- Move to a megalopolis
- Take an unpaid internship or two
- Fly to expensive conferences
- Go out drinking and network
- Promote yourself at every opportunity
For a while, I listened. But this approach didn’t do much except help me rack up $70,000 in debt, which I’ve slowly paid down by working my butt off and cashing out my retirement fund. Now I give a leery eye to advice. All advice.
So should you. There’s a lot of advice out there in the big wide world of self-help, and a lot of it is lazy. The worst of it promises to change your life or make you rich. Or, even more damaging, it tells you that money isn’t important.
