The Self-Improvement Scam: Predatory Industry and Optimization Trap

Self-improvement industry preys on vulnerabilities, leading to misery; Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics offers lasting fulfillment through virtues and balanced life.

### The Self-Improvement Scam: How to Avoid Predatory Practices and Extreme Optimization Using Aristotle's Wisdom
* 🦈 The self-improvement industry often preys on people's vulnerabilities, takes their money, and promotes **materialistic goals** without addressing **deep psychological issues**.
* 🏃 Extreme optimization, where individuals feel pressured to constantly improve every aspect of their lives, can lead to **dissatisfaction** and becoming **susceptible to manipulation**.
* 📜 Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics provides a timeless guide to living a fulfilling life by focusing on **virtues, intrinsic goals, and meaningful relationships**.
* Virtues are qualities that help us make good decisions and develop through **practice and habit**.
* 🎯 The golden mean is about finding the balance between **excess and deficiency**, with **practical wisdom** guiding us.
* 🧠 Intellectual virtues, such as **wisdom and understanding**, are crucial for **personal growth**.
* 🤝 Building **meaningful relationships** and contributing to the community are essential for **true happiness**.

you might not want to hear this, but your pain, failure, and sadness are being used, and people are making tons of money out of them. What am I talking about? The self-improvement scam. While self-improvement by itself is great, the self-improvement industry often exploits people's vulnerabilities, takes their money, and leads people to continue living unhappy lives. But you don't even need the industry to harm you. What's even worse is how people nowadays are getting addicted to self-improvement. In this video, I'm going to cover the two major ways of how self-improvement can harm you and how to actually live a good life based on the practical and working knowledge of Aristotle. Let's start with the most apparent problem with the self-improvement industry. It's full of predators. I'm not saying every person in this niche is a predator. There are people that are actually trying to help others, but you stay in the thumbnail for a reason. To me, is the cover boy of predatory self-improvement, and Tate is

just one of many. When I'm talking about predatory self-improvement, you can pretty much replace him with anyone that's into this scam. Tate knows how to pick his prey really well. If you've seen any of his content before, you'd know that his target audience is men with low confidence, self-worth, and income, a pretty common target in self-improvement circles. Because of their circumstances, these men are susceptible to manipulation. Tate has built up an image of a controversial but successful athlete, businessman, and playboy. He uses this image to shame young men for not being like him. He preys on their insecurities and shoves the fact that they aren't physically fit, getting money, or women down their throats. But he promises that he can teach you to get these things for a price. This is a classic sales tactic: you remind the person of their pain or make them think that they're in pain and offer a solution. What's ironic is that Tate himself made his fortune by selling these predatory courses and allegedly human trafficking.

great role model to follow. If a person gets strict into buying Tes or any other predator's courses, this may lead to multiple ways a person can get harmed. If the person really Buys in and takes the Tate pill, they will live a life that's all about materialistic goals, since they'll be brainwashed into thinking that materialistic things will bring them happiness. When a person equates happiness and satisfaction to their money, physical appearance, and the number of women they have in their life, they'll be miserable. Why? Because these Predators only sell you their vision of success without really helping you achieve it. They don't address the Deep psychological problems a person may have that's actually stopping them from reaching ing their goals. No, best case, they're going to teach you some dumb way to make money online that's probably a pyramid scheme scam or some crypto nonsense. And these make money online schemes don't work out for most. An aate-like person might explain this by simply saying you're not grinding hard enough.

that makes a person feel even worse, since he thinks he's not working as hard as others. And now we have a person that has fallen into the comparison trap. He's unsuccessful since the courses don't really teach you how to make money, and he's constantly comparing himself to the other alpha male types who are living the dream that Tate sells. That just leads to a life of constant dissatisfaction, and if they're really into Tate, they're just going to buy some other expensive premium tier courses that promise to be even better than what Tate before diving deeper into an unfulfilled life and the scam of predatory self-improvement. As I mentioned at the start, what I just talked about is the most apparent and avoidable scam of self-improvement. There's a much sneakier and more dangerous one: the Trap of optimization. What do I mean by optimization is when a person focuses on self-improvement so much he sees every facet of his life as something that can be improved. We live in a society that's

constantly pushing the idea of bettering yourself, so you feel like you're never enough. You can always learn more, exercise more, meditate more, do more. And it doesn't help that everything is gamified. Every activity now has an app that has a leaderboard, a social sharing function where you can share your achievements and look at others, so you can constantly feel bad about yourself because other people are doing more than you. Our little monkey brains are being hijacked in so many ways that even the most resilient of us can crack under this immense pressure of self-improvement. You now have two choices: be constantly depressed, outnumbered by the fact that you're never enough, or become a self-improvement machine. I mean, there's a third healthy way, but I still kind of need to do this part about why some types of self-improvement are bad. So um, bear with me before we head into the dark path of optimization. Consider subscribing; it helps motivate me to keep creating. Okay, so you start optimizing.

your life more and more. You read, learn, and practice various methods of self-improvement. And after a while, you have a workout, meditation, reading, eating, sleeping, being totally legit stoic motivational video viewing routine. What's the result? You've become Sisifus, constantly pushing a boulder up the self-improvement mountain, never actually reaching the top because you can never be fully optimized, despite what the vampire want-to-be Brian Johnson tells you. You get so focused on individual success that this chase for improvement makes you forsake any spontaneous activity or activities that don't have very concrete outcomes that improve your optimization and betterment. You unconsciously start to avoid hanging out with friends, doing or indulging in art, playing in any way, and so on. It's funny because a person can willingly put themselves into a routine that, looking from the side, seems like they're stuck in a labor camp being controlled by a dictatorship. But instead of devoting themselves to the regime, they devote themselves to the abstract ideal of

self-improvement. What's worse is that these types of people are also perfect candidates for manipulation. Not by the Tay types, but by insidious businesses. Now, don't worry. I'm not going to go eat the rich on you, but the people that are hellbent on grinding 24/7 are perfect tools that a sinister business might use. The business will feed their ego. They will give them money, status, skills. They will make them feel like they're rising up the ladder and leveling up while absolutely working them to the bone. People who aren't truly living and are in a trance of self-improvement are the easiest to control, since it's obvious which of their buttons to push so you can influence them to get the result you want. In the case of a crooked business, turning them into a capital-producing machine while they think that they're just improving. These people become perfect tools because they get lost in self-improvement and forsake everything else that's not connected to that. This leads to a life of being constantly

unfulfilled, isolated, overworked, and most likely depressed and miserable on the inside while being # Sigma grind set on the various activity apps. Now these two scams of self-improvement are two extreme examples, and some of us might be in similar situations but not so far gone or are conscious enough to understand that they've gone down a bad road. So if you feel like you're struggling in life and want some guidance, you can skip the Tate-like fake gurus and extreme optimization routines. There's a healthy way to achieve success and happiness. If you were to ask me to only pick one book to recommend to someone that wants to get into healthy self-improvement, I wouldn't recommend anything new. I'd recommend Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, provides a timeless and practical guide to living a fulfilling and meaningful life in his work, the Nicomachean Ethics. So forget your Sigma grind sets and mining routines because we're heading on a

journey to find eudaimonia. What's eudaimonia? It's one of the main concepts of Aristotle. Translated from ancient Greek, it means flourishing. Unlike the money, strength, woman status combo that some cringy self-improvement programs promote, eudaimonia is about achieving deep and lasting fulfillment rather than momentary pleasure or external success. Aristotle defines eudaimonia as the highest human good, a state of living that involves realizing one's potential and living in accordance with virtue. Eudaimonia is not something that can be easily achieved through quick fixes or superficial changes. It requires a lifelong commitment to personal growth and ethical living. So, sorry, watching a few stoic motivational videos won't be enough to get what eudaimonia is all about. You need to understand Aristotle's idea of intrinsic versus extrinsic goals. True happiness, according to him, comes from chasing intrinsic goals, those things that are fulfilling in themselves. On the flip side, extrinsic goals are just a means to get something else. Take money, for example. In today's self-improvement

world money is often treated like the ultimate goal, but Aristotle would say money is just a tool to help you do other things. It doesn't bring through Happiness by itself. Intrinsic goals are things like gaining knowledge and building relationships. These are naturally satisfying and lead to real happiness. This is a key Point that's often missing in modern self-improvement, which usually focuses more on extrinsic goals rather than intrinsic ones. That's why you have self-improvement try-hards with their monkey brains tricked into thinking number go up good. Remember how Aristotle mentioned the importance of Virtues. To him, virtues are the traits or qualities that help us live in line with reason and reach Al demonia. Living according to reason means making choices that fit our rational nature and understanding of what's good. It's about making well-thought-out decisions that contribute to a good life. Virtues guide us through life's challenges and help us make choices that lead to real happiness. They give us a framework for living a balanced and fulfilling life.

virtues aren't something you're born with. You develop them through practice and habit. Aristotle says that virtues become part of your character over time by deliberately practicing them and repeating virtuous actions. It's like training a muscle with regular exercise. For example, to develop Temperance, you need to practice self-control and avoid overindulging so you can enjoy life's pleasures without getting too hooked on them. So even though you might want to binge-watch Iceberg-type videos on YouTube till 3:00 a.m., you should try to not do that. By consistently practicing these virtuous behaviors, they become a natural part of you, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life. A big idea in Aristotle's ethics is the golden mean, which helps us figure out what's virtuous. The golden mean is all about finding the sweet spot between too much and too little. It's not a strict rule but a flexible guide that understands different situations need different balances. For instance, courage is the middle ground between being reckless and

being a coward while Temperance is about balancing overindulgence and being too strict to hit the golden mean. You need practical wisdom or prasis, which helps you judge what's right in each situation. You build this practical wisdom through experience, reflection, and learning from both your wins and mistakes. It's about making good decisions that keep your life in balance. Speaking about learning, unlike the shallow knowledge often sold by modern self-improvement gurus, Aristotle values intellectual virtues highly. Continuous learning and mental growth are key to reaching eudaimonia. Aristotle states that cultivating wisdom and knowledge is very important. Wisdom is about practical knowledge and good judgment, which you get through education, reflection, and experience. It's all about using what you know to make your life and other people's lives better. Understanding means thinking deeply and questioning assumptions. To develop this, you need to be curious, open-minded, and willing to learn from different perspectives. Aristotle emphasizes that balancing theoretical knowledge with real-world application is very important and states to actually make sure that

your intellectual pursuits improve your actions, instead of just being goals on their own. I think we've all seen the I'm actually types on the internet, correcting people and arguing tirelessly in the comments. They've grown big heads but aren't really using them for a good cause. Those are the people that Aristotle would critique. They need to stop binge-watching video essays and go touch some grass, unless they're watching this video essay, if so please continue, thanks. In general, modern self-improvement often focuses on individual success, but Aristotle highlights the importance of social connections for achieving eudaimonia. We're naturally social creatures, and relationships are crucial for a fulfilling life. Building meaningful relationships means finding and nurturing connections based on mutual respect and shared moral virtues, which basically boils down to finding friends that are not only good to you but to everyone. It's also important to be involved in your community and contribute to civic life. Being active in society not only boosts your personal happiness but also helps improve your community while also countering the

loneliness that can come from being too focused on self-improvement. In summary, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics offers a well-rounded and lasting approach to finding true happiness by focusing on building virtues, keeping a balanced life through the golden mean, pursuing intellectual growth, and fostering meaningful relationships. You can achieve eudaimonia. This ancient wisdom stands in stark contrast to the often exploitative and superficial nature of some modern self-improvement, offering a path to deep and lasting fulfillment. Thanks for watching. Check out my other video where I try to find out if the rumor of Marcus Aurelius being a cck is truth or slander.

Aristotle - Escape the Self-Improvement Scam

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The Harmful Effects of Predatory Self-Improvement

The self-improvement industry often exploits people's vulnerabilities and preys on their insecurities to sell solutions for a price.

Predatory figures, like Tate, target individuals with low confidence and self-worth, pushing them towards a materialistic and unfulfilling life.

These predators sell a narrow vision of success without addressing the deep psychological issues, ultimately leading to misery and unattainable goals.

The Pitfalls of Self-Improvement: A Cautionary Tale

Constant comparison and the pursuit of unattainable success lead to dissatisfaction in the self-improvement journey.

The trap of optimization creates a never-ending cycle of trying to improve every aspect of life, leading to a loss of spontaneity and enjoyment.

Society's pressure to constantly better oneself can take a toll on mental well-being, pushing individuals to an unhealthy extreme.

People obsessed with constant self-improvement are vulnerable to manipulation by unscrupulous businesses.

These individuals become easy targets for exploitation, leading to a life of overwork and dissatisfaction.

Instead of falling for extreme optimization routines, a healthier path to self-improvement can be found in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which emphasizes lasting fulfillment through personal growth and virtue.

Aristotle's Philosophy of Happiness and Virtue

Aristotle believes that money is just a tool and intrinsic goals, like knowledge and relationships, lead to real happiness.

He emphasizes the importance of virtues in making well-thought-out decisions for a good life.

Virtues are developed through practice and habit, leading to a balanced and fulfilling life.

Aristotle's golden mean suggests finding a balance in life, while practical wisdom helps in making good decisions.

He values intellectual virtues and sees continuous learning and mental growth as crucial for reaching happiness.

The Importance of Social Connections for Eudaimonia

Aristotle criticizes modern self-improvement focused on individual success and highlights the importance of social connections for a fulfilling life.

Building meaningful relationships is crucial, based on mutual respect and shared moral virtues.

Being involved in the community not only boosts personal happiness but also improves the community and counters the loneliness of self-centeredness.