Self Help Books Are Killing Philosophy
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SELF-HELP

Every famous poet’s work
I’ve ever read contains
A poem about poetry.
I’ve always thought it was
Arrogant to glorify your own craft,
But as in many things I’ve said,
I find I’ve become a hypocrite.
In fact, I think it’s an important
Part of manhood to admit that
You contradict yourself. Maybe not.

I read a poem that a friend
Showed me, taken from a
Self-help book. By the way,
Self help books are one of the
Most brilliant marketing decisions
Of our time. Some press realized that
People in a philosophical crisis will
Buy anything. Fortune tellers have
Known this for years. The poem

Gave good advice on nearly
Every level of human life,
“Don’t compare yourself with others…
…Nurture relationships…Love, teach, share…”
As if the author were trying to conquer
Every corner of wisdom in one,
Fell pen stroke—or, rather, several
Keystrokes on the word processor.

It was good advice, but then, I’ve
Never been able to take purely
Good advice—not honestly, anyway.
I don’t think poets and philosophers
Would have begun writing if
Cliff Notes could teach you
All about life and death, although

My ‘A’ in high school English
Would tell you differently. To pass
On wisdom, you have to
Experience it—read Blake, Shakespeare,
Or make a stupid mistake and try
To figure out why it was a
Stupid mistake. The good advice
That would have you avoid that
Mistake won’t teach you why
It was such a stupid mistake,
So you make the mistake at the
Risk of becoming an idiot, but

Not an ignorant idiot at least.
This may not sound like good
Advice, but that’s why you can
Take it. And also why children
Eat sweets when their
Mothers warn them about
Cavities; why boys still break
Girls’ hearts; why I keep
Getting my manuscripts back
In the mail with words of
Discouragement. And why
I made the stupid mistake of
Moving across the sea as far
As possible from the one
Person who made me want
To follow all the good
Advice I’ve ever gotten.