The Harms of Self-Help Discourse

Abstract In this paper, we analyze the potential harms of everyday self-help discourse, particularly in contexts of systemic oppression. After analyzing the core principles of self-help, such as the power of positive thinking, eliminating negative thinking, gratitude, self-knowledge for self-improvement, and individual choice and responsibility, we argue that self-help discourse is likely to perpetuate different forms of harm in conditions of oppression. First, we argue that, when used in contexts of systemic oppression, self-help discourse contributes to victim-blaming. Secondly, we highlight that the harms of self-help discourse include epistemic and affective dimensions. On the epistemic front, self-help discourse carries epistemic risks, including testimonial smothering and hermeneutical injustice, by discouraging the expression of certain perspectives and lived experiences. On the affective front, self-help discourse reinforces oppression by adding emotional burdens to the oppressed, dismissing their emotional experiences, and imposing the emotional norms of the dominant group. Finally, we revisit the principles of self-help, and show how they contribute to the highlighted harms, particularly by reinforcing victim-blaming, and epistemic and affective forms of injustice.