Blogocentric Formulations

80% Of All Statistics Are Made Up

Day 3266 ▼

“The swiftest way to triple your success is to double your investment in personal development.” - Robin Sharma
Write about what you think this quote means.

I think "triple your success by doubling your investment in personal development" is exactly the kind of thing a self-help motivational speaker and author would make up, because it's a general truism with complete nonsense masquerading as practical advice layered on top of it.

The underlying point is well taken... that if you invest in your own personal development, it's one of the best things that you can do to contribute to your success. But "personal development" can mean a variety of different things, many of which have no objective means of measurement. Same with "tripling your success." And I feel like that's kind of the point with stuff like this. Because the self-help industry (especially in the area of business development) absolutely thrives on the idea that greater success (usually financial) is just around the corner as soon as you figure out the one quick tip, life hack, pro tip, etc. that the person selling you something has to offer.

Is this quote saying that if you take one of the author's seminars or pick up one of his books, that your salary will triple? Or that if you go back to school you'll suddenly have the skills needed to be your own boss? Or that your investment portfolio will triple in value if you take a few online courses in leadership development? That's kind of the point of quotes like this... it allows you to fill in the blanks. It encourages you to imagine what your "success tripling" looks like for you, as long as you double your investment in personal development (which is what the author is, conveniently, selling).

Don't get me wrong; I'm someone who thinks there is value in some self-help stuff, and who genuinely believes in the power of personal development, self-actualization, and all that good stuff. But, at its core, what do I think this quote means? I think it means that a self-help guy is trying to sell you more of his products by encouraging you to imagine how much more successful you'll be if you buy just one more of his books, or attend one more of his seminars, or pay for one more personal coaching session... or whatever it is he's offering.

It's a catchy quote, with the barest hints of truth to it... but that's been layered over by cheap salesmanship and impossible-to-prove assertions.