Hannah Glanz

Self-Improvement Advice Works Only When It Counters Existing Tendencies

Chris Williamson argues that both optimisation culture and its anti-optimisation backlash fail when they treat advice as universally applicable. For people already prone to anxiety, perfectionism or obsessive self-management, more discipline can deepen burnout; for those avoiding responsibility, calls to relax and accept themselves can become an excuse to stay stuck. The Modern Wisdom host says intense self-improvement can be a necessary, temporary corrective, but only when it redirects rather than amplifies a person’s existing tendencies.