It would be cool if we had a self-improvement comm.
As leftists, we understand that a lot of individual problems are caused by systemic issues. However, I think that there is still a lot that can be done on the individual level to improve your life.
Most online self-improvement spaces have a reactionary slant and are dominated by the same type of guy, which is another great reason to have a self-improvement comm on this website.
EDIT: our awesome admins created the new comm and our awesome comrade @SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net stepped up to moderate it, please check it out and start posting: https://hexbear.net/c/self_improvement
Are there any improovers here? What would you like to improve in 2024? Would you like to have a comm where we can hang out? 
I philosophically disagree with self improvement as a mindset, this idea that you’re supposed to change yourself to be better. I don’t think that’s how anything worse, you adapt your circumstances so you are inclined to do what you want to do instead
Self-improvement implies an inherent dissatisfaction with oneself, a fundamental and cosmic insecurity which one attempts to overcome through superficial changes in routine or habit. It would be hypocritical for me to suggest people simply kick that attitude away, though, especially because it’s obviously instilled through years of social interactions and attitudes that enforce it; Not some sort of personal attribute
I would view it more as an admission that your current habits and behaviors do not correlate 100% with desired outcomes.
The idea of self-improvement is highly subjective and unique to the individual. You get to decide what is important to you and what you are willing to sacrifice. If you don’t think you need it, that’s great!
There is a lot bullshit in self help, but reflecting on your behaviors and their outcomes is a core aspect of the most clinically tested mental health exercises.
Yeah, for that to properly work you have to viciously attack and disentangle why you want what you want, how toxic norms and the productive mode of capitalism influences what you have been told is good or bad behavior.
There’s a reason why self-improvement spaces are made up of exactly one type of guy: It’s all people struggling to meet up to the expectations instilled in them of exactly one type of successful person.
This is why I despise the term self-improvement. It implies improving oneself towards some sort of better norm. But what is better, in this case? Being happier? Sure, most people want to be happier, but part of life is feeling sad, and trying to will yourself happier, rather than changing the conditions that made you sad in the first place, is a recipe for disaster.
But that’s probably the most reasonable thing people “improve” towards. For most, I’d bet money that self-improvement is about becoming more of a “Gigachad”, becoming more attractive, becoming more productive, or emotionally castrating yourself so things don’t get to you as much. Not because they think those things will make them happier, but because that’s what success and improvement is to them. And, to be honest, what improvement is to most people.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean changing your habits or behaviors is some sort of impossible or inherently wrong activity, just that it should be done for a purpose someone arrives to while having the context for all of these things, and that’s my problem with the term self-improvement: It implies you’re improving yourself towards some objective goal, rather than just doing stuff that accomplishes the goals you have.
I would suggest a term like “revolutionary behavior” to reflect the sort of DBT-communist merge that I think both you and I are sort of reaching towards
So like in dumb guy words you dont like self-improvement because the culture surrounding it, it’s generally intended end goal and how pointless participating in “self-improvement TM” is if the surrounding context doesn’t match your ambitions?
I guess yeah
In even dumber guy words I’m fine with it but feel like the comm should be called something else to discourage the nerds
I agree with your overall criticism of the term and culture. I love the term “revolutionary behavior”. So far I think the term “collective improvement” would be the best since it is still close enough to the original term to be recognizable