Is Self-Improvement Just Making Us More Selfish?

Is Self-Improvement Just Making Us More Selfish?

Is personal development and self-improvement making us better—or just more self-absorbed? In today's episode, we wade into the debate sparked by a recent New York Times article (link below) about whether the world of betterment is actually helping with personal growth, or just creating inward navel-gazing? We discuss how to think about the role of individual agency in a world of structural challenge, the pitfalls of hyper-optimization, and why nuance (and community) matter more than ever. We explore how to use self-help as a tool—without letting it take over your life. Whether you’re a self-improvement skeptic or a die-hard devotee, this conversation will give you new ways to think about growth, agency, and what it really means to be excellent, on both an individual and collective level.


"Is Today's Self-Help Teaching Everyone to Be a Jerk?" by Emma Goldberg: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/style/self-help-books-columns-readers.html


Unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mzKxdG-NcdRbzUsKH6IEMLGt3z5Z7Fln00AN1T4hN3U/edit?usp=sharing


If you have a questions for us, send an email to clay.growtheq@gmail.com or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.


Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter: https://thegrowtheq.com/newsletters/geq/


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179 - 7 Mindset Shifts that will Change your Life

179 - 7 Mindset Shifts that will Change your Life

Co-hosted by Growth EQ COO Chris Douglas, Brad unpacks his recent instagram post "7 Mindset Shifts that will Change your Life".You can find the episode on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherCheck out our exclusive community offers on Patreon here.Get Do Hard Things and The Practice of Groundedness on audible (Or in hard copy: Hard Things here and Groundedness here).Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!Find Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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178 - Cheap Dopamine

178 - Cheap Dopamine

Brad and Steve discuss how and why dopamine drives our behavior. This episode covers addiction, desire, dopamine “fasting”, and Parkinsons. You can find the episode on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcher Check out our exclusive community offers on Patreon here. Get Do Hard Things and The Practice of Groundedness on audible (Or in hard copy: Hard Things here and Groundedness here). Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! Find Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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177 - The Internet has gone a little Crazy

177 - The Internet has gone a little Crazy

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28 Kesä 202344min

176 - Relational Flexibility (with Yael Schonbrun)

176 - Relational Flexibility (with Yael Schonbrun)

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Special Episode: Big Pharma vs. Big Conspiracy

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175 - Nurturing Our Relationships (with Yael Schonbrun)

175 - Nurturing Our Relationships (with Yael Schonbrun)

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174 - The Impact of Youth Sports

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7 Kesä 202339min

173 - "You Can’t Screw This Up” (with Adam Bornstein)

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