Okay, noted article critic, Ryan Hauck. Now I know my work is making waves

I think it’s intellectually dishonest to pretend anyone is hearing “book on how to be successful” as “book on how to be successful at achieving fulfillment.” No one else seems confused by it, Ryan.

“However, there are fundamental skills which can be found in almost all disciplines which translate to success [patience, hard-working, conscientious, etc] and those can be augmented through reading [making you aware if them].”

Yes, patience, conscientiousness, etc., fall under the domain of general efficacy. They are, however, incomplete by themselves. You have to be patient in regards to something. You can get paid for patiently perfecting your writing or patiently holding onto a stock derivative, you can’t get paid for being patient with no aim; I think that’s called idleness. That was one of the primary points made.

“Also, the title and conclusion contradict each other because you begin with the thesis that we should stop reading self-help books.”

Really? I think “Why This Self-Help Author Thinks You Should Slow Down On Reading Self-Help Books, But Not Stop Altogether” would have been a bit wordy. That pizza place by your house, also doesn’t actually have “The World’s Best Pizza,” just FYI.

At any rate, the title and the conclusion are reconciled in context. Didn’t I say that ideally you have all the time in the world and can read both, but if you’re like everyone else you have time constraints, and should only read the one?

You should prioritize reading books that aren’t self-help (conclusion) if you can only read one (body). + You don’t have time to read both because you, unknown reader, are assumed to be like everyone else (body). = Stop reading self-help books. (Title)

Really, Ryan, I’m not offended, but this does seem critical for the sake of being critical. I’m always open to starting a conversation, but I’d prefer that you either say something nice or find concrete flaws that I can work on improving. “Your title is only 97% honest” isn’t a bug; it’s a feature.

Thank you for reading, even if it’s hate-reading. All the best!