I tried a lot of those 'find your purpose/ meaning' type things over the years. Various techniques and ideas drawn from all over: ikegai to logotherapy etc.

But nothing really came of any of them.

Are they are a cod-psychology con?

I read a little about a book on ikegai when it came across my radar. It sounded like another worthless self-help book. I've dipped into a handful of self-help books recently and only one proved worthwhile.

(September 13, 2023 at 10:04 am)Angrboda Wrote: I read a little about a book on ikegai when it came across my radar. It sounded like another worthless self-help book. I've dipped into a handful of self-help books recently and only one proved worthwhile.

Yes, I tend to think now all these 'find your purpose things don't work.

Not sure about purpose, but have you tried Blueberry Hill, I hear it's quite a thrill.

I haven't necessarily tried purpose seeking self help. Although I did try a couple motivational interviewing books for goal setting and that "Designing your life workbook" where you essentially map out your life goals based on what you do most often and what brings you the most fulfilment. Because I like lists and logbooks and such. But I realized early on in working on these types of things that these books are for extreme cases. People who absolutely have no clue about themselves and their passions(like, you ask them what they want to do with their life and they just blank up and get lost) and they need to drag it out of themselves with guided, hyper detailed questionnaires.

I thought I'd find a way to refine my purpose or brainstorm a more concrete plan from the pieces I had. Turns out, both, the motivational interviewing and life mapping books simply took me back a few steps from where I already was, asking hundreds of questions I already had answers to. :/

(September 13, 2023 at 10:25 am)zwanzig Wrote: I haven't necessarily tried purpose seeking self help. Although I did try a couple motivational interviewing books for goal setting and that "Designing your life workbook" where you essentially map out your life goals based on what you do most often and what brings you the most fulfilment. Because I like lists and logbooks and such. But I realized early on in working on these types of things that these books are for extreme cases. People who absolutely have no clue about themselves and their passions(like, you ask them what they want to do with their life and they just blank up and get lost) and they need to drag it out of themselves with guided, hyper detailed questionnaires.

I thought I'd find a way to refine my purpose or brainstorm a more concrete plan from the pieces I had. Turns out, both, the motivational interviewing and life mapping books simply took me back a few steps from where I already was, asking hundreds of questions I already had answers to. :/

For me I've found all the various 'find your passion' or 'future authoring' stuff no use precisely because I have no clue about my passions etc. They always assume too many things and experiences etc that I haven't got or had.

(September 13, 2023 at 10:56 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: For me I've found all the various 'find your passion' or 'future authoring' stuff no use precisely because I have no clue about my passions etc. They always assume too many things and experiences etc that I haven't got or had.

Then I wonder who they're for, yeah? Because I have all my passions already in mind, ready to go, and these books wanted to come at it from every angle trying to help me figure it out and tie them down. So I just assumed it would be best utilized by someone who has trouble answering those questions. But I guess there's no contingency plan for someone who fills in the work book with "I don't know".

That kinda tickles my brain with a possibility for why they don't work? Because they're written by people who haven't actually struggled in that way. Or if they have, it's sometimes difficult to go back and explain your exact process on how you helped yourself or solved it in a way that could be beneficial to someone else.

They're for suckers, mostly, it seems to me. Like every self-help book and lecture in my experience. I guess I went through so many for the same reason I buy lottery tickets: irrational hope borne of desperation and manipulated by grifters. Reminds me of religion.

Never felt the need.

Boru