I have never read self help books so I can't say if they work or not. What I meant is that when I read fanfictions I read them because It's fun, but since it's for entertainment I look for things that don't take much effort of for the tags that for sure I know I like. I am not stepping out of my comfort zone.

For books, since there are no tags you don't know for sure what you will encounter. It happens that you read some opinions that you have thought but never put into words or something that you never considered as a prospective. I usually discuss the topic of every book that I read with my family or friends and that is what I meant by "growth". I think that the discussions and the reflections you have after you read the book that enriches you