Self-Help Advice Was Never For Marginalized Groups
The problem of the rich white person offering self-help advice.
With my time writing ESG articles for a client, I’ve seen how much effort certain companies in various industries are making to be more inclusive. From hiring more women to hiring more people with more diversity, reports and analysis have made it clear that pursuing those hiring efforts does help a business grow even further.
But when it comes to the self-help industry, I can’t say there is much progress in that area. It’s one of the biggest criticisms about this industry. Looking at the richest self-help gurus some lists do include some diversity, but even those diverse lists consist mostly of white men.
Dale Carnegie, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracey, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey.
It makes sense, given the self-help religious roots and general history. But as we keep marching forward and the world changes around and adopts new things, it feels like every day the self-help industry is lagging and needs a much larger reform.
Already a good portion of us are sick and tired of the rich man offering his advice.
And while there is some diversity in the industry, it’s not really enough. And yet marginalized groups are the ones who get wrapped up into the various schemes that self-help gurus pull.
They All Have Hidden Underlying Messages
From the lack of diversity of gurus to the fact that a lot of advice is designed to keep you in a loop and not help you grow, a lot of it has to do with the people at the top. Particularly their attitude that they’re not keen on social change or being open to new ideas.
That much is clear when you understand that their messaging follows a particular structure and underneath they have a specific message that isn’t brought up.
It’s the sentiment that this article points out quite well:
If you are unwell, poor or otherwise disadvantaged, the only one at fault is yourself.
It reminds me of a particular quote from Bill Gates that went along like this “You’re not to blame for being born poor, but you are to blame if you stay there.” It’s meant as a sort of pick-me-up to get out there and push through your problems. Get rich. Lose weight. Get married.
Just do all of the things.
But the reality isn’t so simple. We’re often blind to every possible solution to a problem and what is actually the most effective. That was something I was reminded of recently on an issue I covered a while ago.
Beyond that, there are other underlying barriers that can prevent growth in the first place.
Normally the rich self-help guru’s advice on dealing with financial woes is to start a business or to look for more work. But marginalized groups don’t always have those luxuries. Starting a business costs money and a lot of time and energy. Even with the money, it’s a tough sell to tell someone to hustle hard when they’re working two or three jobs just to get by.
Not every person is just around the corner of an insane windfall that will solve that specific problem.
All the same, I think of my fellow writer Shannon Ashely and her struggle with lipo-lipidemia. With a condition like that, trying to lose weight or eat healthy can help with maintenance but isn’t the ultimate cure for her losing weight. Not when that condition makes it painful to move and function as a human being.
Underlying problems are not something a lot of popular self-help gurus address and their ultimate answer is “tough luck” when you read between the lines.
The Enhancements Were Meant For Those Who Already Made It
The reality when it comes to advice from popular self-help gurus is that its advice is meant for those who are already in good positions. Often times the actual audience is people who have sorted out some major issues in their lives whether that’s financially, physically, spiritually, or mentally.
The current structure is more fitting for people who have the privilege of dealing with small snags in their lives. For sure, those snags are disruptive and can shake some of that foundation. But it’s the existence of that foundation that so many other individuals lack.
And yet gurus are trying to appeal to those individual who do not have that foundation.
It’s understandable why they do this. Marginalized groups or people who are poor have way more problems than those who have a comfier lifestyle. But when it’s combined with that underlying message and sentimentality, those of us at the bottom can see the disconnection.
We eventually realize that the advice they are offering isn’t directed fully to us. Sure in concept it’s nice to have that, but again marginalized groups and other people with shakier foundations have to go through extra steps that aren’t always clear. Especially to those who have already made it.
These things are communicated clearly so we tend to jump to conclusions. We think these individuals are trying to help us when the reality is they aren’t. Every time they put out a course on anything, there isn’t anything new or revolutionary that they provide. It doesn’t tend to solve any issues even though they tell you what these products are meant to provide.
Because ultimately they are to address people with these problems but don’t have a tonne of extra baggage they have to deal with first.
They want to tackle confidence issues of those with slightly worse self-esteem issues. Not people suffering from depression.
They want to tackle getting people healthier while their audience is already exercising regularly and eating healthy. Not people who struggle with weight loss.
And yet they tend to package their products for everyone.
Self-Help Must Change
The self-help industry isn’t racist, but I’d go as far as to say the foundation was. Much like any other industry out there, the select individuals who make up most of the narrative and the messaging are white men. And even though there are a few women and people of colour in the mixture, it’s not enough to really change anything.
What this leaves is the smaller self-help gurus who are building a name for themselves. They’re not going to be as popular as some of the bigger names of self-help, but they can fuel change the more people buy into it and are exposed to it.
Part of the reason I’m in self-help for so long comes down to meeting people who want to focus on practical and genuine advice. Not to mention there are people who continue to introduce me to other ideas and options I otherwise wouldn’t have known about or uncovered.
It’s not likely that those at the top are ever going to change and grow as better people, and so it’s up to smaller individuals to make a difference, understand the plights of minorities, and offer overwhelming value. Part of that comes down to learning about rich self-help gurus true intents. Their intent to simply profit while preying on a weakness.
I get that listening to rich self-help gurus or someone else using the same talking points is appealing. The advice is meant to be addictive and vague enough that people will read it and not actually apply it. The reality is, there are often extra steps or other considerations that are important to address and minority groups feel that the most. Our systems were not designed to support them and they continue to be shaky for those who need it the most.
Naturally, the advice follows the same structure too.
But like so many other industries, things can change over time. We are an adaptive species and when things aren’t working, we change and fix them. When it comes to these larger problems, it’s a matter of working together and getting the message out there. Everyone deserves ample opportunity to grow regardless of where they are on the social ladder.
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