It’s hard to escape the language and politics of self-help today. Whether you’re browsing your LinkedIn, Instagram, or even TikTok feed, there’s a very good chance that the first post you see offers up some idea for living a better life or growing a more successful business. Shoulds and supposed-tos are cultural currency. We gain social capital sharing advice or “giving value.” And that’s left me wondering: are we all in the self-help business now?

Today’s episode kicks off an 8-part series called Self-Help, LLC which will explore that question from a number of different angles. In this episode, I’m taking a close look at a particular construction of personal growth and entrepreneurship culture: winners and losers.

Footnotes:

• Dr. Rick for Progressive
  
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  Why does the insurance industry have so many mastcots? on Planet Money
  
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  Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee
  
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  More about Marshall McLuhan (”The medium is the message”)
  
• Nixon’s universal health care plan proposal
  
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  Reaganism & Thatcherism
  
  
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  The Old is Dying & the New Cannot be Born by Nancy Fraser
  

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