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DevilsOfLoudun t1_j1wvnj3 wrote

Reply to comment by corycrater in Guys, in your experience, do personal development books really work? by julian_devid

I think reading books like Atomic Habits gives people instant serotonin boost, especially because they already know the information. They're like "yes, tomorrow I will do this and my life will change!". Sometimes reading about things feels as good as actually doing them and our brains can't tell the difference.

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FeloniousSausage t1_j1ytbsc wrote

This is akin to the (not-book related) idea that telling people your goal decreases your chances of reaching it because it causes a big dopamine hit.

"I'm gonna lose weight in 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023." Tell everybody, feel good about it, don't follow through on it.

Reading a book that gives an easy boost of serotonin or dopamine could have a similar effect through affirmation.

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