Self help and self improvement lit general thread
Post books
>that changed your life
>improved your outlook
>helped you overcome a real world problem
For fags too poor for therapy and want to read themselvces better
Amazon blank books get the fuck out, this thread is for reading oneself to enlightenment and overcoming fears with sagely wisdom
>>8021352
Epictetus' Discourses, and Aristotle's Ethics; together they are basically the intellectual, yet realistic guiding father you never had growing up.
Zorba the Greek both inspired me to begin reading lit and philosophy and to notice and try to dial down my narcissistic shyness.
OP start and bump
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
My babbie's first book introduction to Taoism, would later read the Dao De Ching.
Remember reading this in a day and feeling a sense of peace and happiness for the first time in years, with a new perspective on all my problems. Sensation has since washed away and I'm trying to reclaim it but still grateful for reading this.
Didn't appriciate the rant chapters about 3/4 in, even less so in the Te of Piglet (which I put down) but willing to overlook. Now I think Hoff's ranting as such goes against Tao principle and he should just shut up but that's my interpretation.
Would like to read up to Time and Being by Heidegger at some point but heard it's hard as fuck
>>8021370
>narcissitic shyness
More on that please, what do you mean?
OP. More on the problems I want help with by reading.
>Constant sense of shame, guilt, failure
>fear of failure and letting people down
>online test i took mentioned a "dependent personality complex" which I have no idea how to deal with and don't know how to prove to anyone or myself is true
>mild speech impediment
I tried using Tao to just let myself be myself, but in pursuit of "he who speaks does not know, he who knows does not speak" I've just withdrawn and feel like I've forgotten how to be a normal human being
Feel fucked up. Don't want to let anyone else know about. Trying to take care of it in my own way but sense that time is running out in my life and can't wait for something to pick me up and absolve my fears anymore
Also The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx was good
>>8021379
>>"If I speak out, I'll look stupid. I'm way better than stupid people, look at that stupid person running their mouth like a fucking r-tard, if they had any sense about them they'd realize they'll never be anything and that they should just shut up and... "
And so on. Setting an unbelievably high standard for yourself, so you can righteously hate yourself and the world while high fiving yourself for being the smartest. Zorba made me look at how silly of an attitude criticizing people while you're too scared of failing to do anything is and I'm eternally grateful.
>>8021397
Try reading some of Camus, he spends whole books explaining a similar state of mind that you're in, and does his best to explain how to continue living with it.
>>8021397
Stoics. Epictetus Discourses Book 1 Chapter 1: On what is in our control and not in our control. Read it and let it the meaning of that sink in. Stoics also pair well with (Not the Stranger) Camus.
t. Chronic people pleaser
self help is for losers with no balls
>>8021411
Mind blowing, that's just how I feel sometimes, I'll get right on that shit. Do you recommend a certain Zorba?
>>8021442
Sounds good. Relating to >>8021454, if not the stranger, where to start with Camus?
>>8021370
>>8021454
I'll check em out, thanks anons
>>8021458
Yeah you're not wrong. Not interested in mindfulness journals or Dummies Guide to Zen here though, that's just enjoy that much
>>8021411
>>8021521
Op here. Just realised Zorba The Greek is the name of the book, not the author. Good start. Thanks again.
>>8021521
Not him, but The Fall and The Plague really helped me and after those The Myth Of Sisyphus was pretty good and accessible enough to interest me in philosophy in general.
>>8021454
Could you Give me a link of stoics there are lots of sources that ı couldn't choose
Philosophy has never helped me solve a problem or made me a better person. I don't even believe it's possible for such a thing to happen. Once you get to a certain age you're set in your ways, and a lot of inspirational bullshit about ethics won't change who you are.
Models by Mark Manson is the only thing you need tb h
Wen i say no i feel guilty - Manuel Smith ;
Book on setting bounadaries in person; how not to be taken advantage of.
>>8021521
For Camus start with myth of Sisyphus. Gimmie a sec I'll post epictetus
>>8021712
Tao Lin should buy this guy to follow him around everywhere
>>8023972
http://sacred-texts.com/cla/dep/index.htm
Enjoy!
I never see this book posted, but it's excellent.
The Art of Worldly Wisdom - Balthasar Gracian
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/aww/
>>8021411
I'm not shy because I say stupid shit, I'm shy because my self hate leaks when I speak.
If you want to stay bitter and pretentious study the Stoics and Schopie's and Nietzsche's takes on life philosophy
If you want to be cool like me read W. Reich and the Meme Machine and do a psychoanalytic and memetic interpretation of Stirner.
Link related as a daily reminder: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/17/magazine/theres-nothing-deep-about-depression.html?_r=1
ok
The Ego and His Own literally saved my life, not even memeing.
And, is any of these books based on psychological research?
>>8021712
It's a useful book that gets you laid
>>8021697
>Once you get to a certain age you're set in your ways
no u
