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A review by lizawren
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
2.0
1.5 stars.
As with [b:Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|9547888|Attached The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|Amir Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311705552s/9547888.jpg|14434316], this book was lent to me by someone who found value in it and recommended I try it too. I came away with the sense that I should steer clear of the Self Help genre. I’d hate to write off a whole category of books, but I keep running into the same issues: someone with a PhD presents a “right way” to do things, wraps it copiously in a personal story, maybe makes a few appeals to various religions, and then assumes things about the reader.
My current struggles (adjusting to my sudden deafness) are very different from the author’s struggles, and so I found that I was not the right audience for much of this book. In the sections containing the author’s personal story and anecdotes, I also found many of the opinions and judgments expressed to be really problematic (very [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503066414s/19501.jpg|3352398]). I found the content to be at its best when it was focused on the exercises, the science, and the explanations of what the terms mean and what the research demonstrates. I do think American culture puts a pathological emphasis on self-esteem and relentless positivity. I do agree with the basic precept that it’s healthy to practice self-compassion, which is the combination of self-kindness, mindfulness, and feeling a sense that we’re all in this together.
As with [b:Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|9547888|Attached The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|Amir Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311705552s/9547888.jpg|14434316], this book was lent to me by someone who found value in it and recommended I try it too. I came away with the sense that I should steer clear of the Self Help genre. I’d hate to write off a whole category of books, but I keep running into the same issues: someone with a PhD presents a “right way” to do things, wraps it copiously in a personal story, maybe makes a few appeals to various religions, and then assumes things about the reader.
My current struggles (adjusting to my sudden deafness) are very different from the author’s struggles, and so I found that I was not the right audience for much of this book. In the sections containing the author’s personal story and anecdotes, I also found many of the opinions and judgments expressed to be really problematic (very [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503066414s/19501.jpg|3352398]). I found the content to be at its best when it was focused on the exercises, the science, and the explanations of what the terms mean and what the research demonstrates. I do think American culture puts a pathological emphasis on self-esteem and relentless positivity. I do agree with the basic precept that it’s healthy to practice self-compassion, which is the combination of self-kindness, mindfulness, and feeling a sense that we’re all in this together.