Who is qualified to give advice like this?

[LV2R]

I don't see it as someone thinking that they have their life so together that they can now share with others, rather I see it as someone thinking about what has helped them in their lives and now want others to know. They do not force anyone to believe or apply the lessons they have learned but hope that if it helps someone they will be happy about it.

[Apr1815]

Having read many of these books in the past, my main problem with books like this is that there is no guarantee that anyone writing them is actually qualified to write them. Anyone can write a book which gives advice, but just because they wrote something that sounds good doesn’t mean that it is at all accurate. It is too easy to lie, exaggerate, and even unintentionally misrepresent the truth of your own life. It is even more questionable considering that writing a book like this has financial incentives for the writer. Unfortunately, even when these books are well done and reach the audience they are intended to help, those people rarely benefit from them in practical application.

[00LynnMarie]

I always wonder the exact same thing when I see any self-help book. If you have experienced some level of success and think others might benefit from the lessons you've learned, then maybe you're qualified to give some advice. I have never cared for self-help books. I have yet to read one that I didn't find tedious.

[ArriettyClock]

It could be that the person has had such an awful time of their life (like people who have been fighting depression, had a life-threatening illness, or had a family member go missing) and want to share the ways that worked or didn't work for them. For some books it actually increases awareness of the issues (such as mental health or the amount of missing people).
However, I'm sure there are definitely people who write these books purely for monetary gain rather than helping others.

[Willy 1]

Experience, they say is the best teacher. If you're going through a certain situation, and someone had gone through the exact same thing and got out unscathed, that person I say is in a good position to give out advice. But the final decision lies with you.

[Ekta Kumari]

No body's life is perfect and without some kind of ups and downs, but I don't think there is any harm if a person is willing to share the lessons they learnt from their life experiences. I don't think that authors think they are perfect for giving advice but they do have motivation of helping their readers and that encourage them to write these books.

[Swat3737]

I have a graduate degree in performance psychology, and many of my co-students went on to become life coaches and were very successful at it. That doesn't mean their lives were completely in order because life is partially luck/circumstance. But our courses taught us the theories behind elevating performance and how to apply those theories in different situations. Giving good advice is also about understanding people and being a good, empathetic listener.

[OpinionatedEducator]

I don't know if anyone is really qualified to give a whole book's worth of advice about this sort of thing. Maybe one specific aspect, or maybe a motivational speech, but a whole book? I'm not enticed to read it.

[Braunsucre]

Really, I feel there's no harm in giving help to others, and help comes in different forms.

[rogerthat]

A person qualify to give such advice should be someone with track record of success through experience. The story of the person's life should be an encouragement to readers.

[Tzara Drusak]

No one is exactly 'qualified' to dispense advice and this topic actually delivers a potent reminder we were taught from day one - no one is perfect. At the same time, our life experiences, whether seemingly inconsequential or monumental, each teach us something we're all going to interpret uniquely.

Personally, I don't really read self-help books, as most times they sound like the preachings of an all-important type who's apparently discovered the secret to life, but can't deny the fact that they have an inspiring quality, and do, in fact, teach us something new. One can take the advice of a fool, and this advice shouldn't be discarded, as fools bear the brunt of many a mistake, and perhaps have learnt from them.

[Jessacardinal]

I agree with your inquiry. While I don't doubt the author's life experiences provided him with invaluable insight into living life successfully, I didn't necessarily feel he presented the best advice for a how-to manual.

[nonamer_miss]

This is exactly my thought whenever I bump into these kind of books but whenever I read one, I always reflect on how I live and sometimes it does help.

[Miercoles]

I find that most people who write motivational books have had difficult life experiences and wish to share how they were able to survive and sometimes conquer. It does not mean that their lives are perfect. It just means that they are now a little wiser and better prepared for life's challenges.

[skindrukas]

In my opinion, everyone has the right to give their opinion, as much as I have the right to say "no" to that opinion. Although when I see a book like that I can't help to think that this is yet one more try to get money from peoples insecurities. On the other hand, if one of a thousand people read this kind of book and change something in their lives - why not?