5 Dangerous Beliefs of the Self-Improvement Sphere

Are you being misguided?

There is one thing I have come to understand very clearly over the last year or so, and that is that the online self-improvement echo chamber is a dangerous place to be. I wrote an article some weeks ago going over this and explaining how easy it is to lose your soul to hustle culture, but today I want to dive into the specifics and discuss 5 beliefs that most self-improvement gurus push that are incredibly dangerous, especially to young men looking for their path in the world.

I know these firsthand because I too have held these beliefs in the past, and only now can I look back and see the damage they’ve done. I strongly advise you take a deep look at yourself to see if these sound familiar, because it’s very likely that you've been, through no fault of your own, been misled into believing them.

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1. It’s all up to you

Tell me you haven’t seen stuff like this ALL OVER the internet.

I understand this belief might come from a place of good intentions, but that doesn’t make it any more dangerous. Younger generations —mine included—have developed a victimhood complex in which we never accept responsibility for our actions and always look for someone to blame. It’s in that context that the “it’s all up to you” belief is born, as a way to wake people up to the fact that their lives are their responsibilities. This is true, up to a point.

The problem with this belief arises when it stops being a reason to work hard and it starts becoming an obsessive need to control every circumstance, by forgetting the limitations of our too human nature.

No, not everything is up to you. You are just a man. Some things are up to you, and some things aren’t. That’s just life. You are not the one driving this boat, God is. Yes, you have free will, obviously. Yes, your actions have a direct impact on the life you live. But it’s not all under your control, and thinking that it is will just lead you to become anxious and worry excessively.

Take responsibility for your actions, tend to your field carefully, work hard and do your best. That’s all you can do. Learn to accept the fact that for all your efforts, God’s plan for you is His own, and it won’t always fit what you want.

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