I think so. I'm big into self improvement - I like to try and make myself better in one focused way at a time, be it becoming a faster reader, a better performer, healthier, better with women, or whatever. I think its difficult to change your core personality but it is certainly possible to develop that personality to make yourself a better person.

If it is offered by training it is not self development.
If you see a weakness in yourself and decide to take action to change it then you are developing yourself and becoming a better person as a result.If you do as you are told by others you are simply being institutionalised.

Originally Posted by pauli007001

If it is offered by training it is not self development.
If you see a weakness in yourself and decide to take action to change it then you are developing yourself and becoming a better person as a result.If you do as you are told by others you are simply being institutionalised.

It depends on what that training involves. Surely if you are British and you take training in gun combat, you are being de-institutionalised? If you are American and you attend lectures on atheism, you are being de-institutionalised. In fact, anything other than school is de-institutionalised training. Martial arts is another good example (although they are a bit of a waste of time other than to be healthy).

Originally Posted by DougieG

It depends on what that training involves. Surely if you are British and you take training in gun combat, you are being de-institutionalised? If you are American and you attend lectures on atheism, you are being de-institutionalised. In fact, anything other than school is de-institutionalised training. Martial arts is another good example (although they are a bit of a waste of time other than to be healthy).

Your correct of course but surely the de-institutionalised training only replaces an existing institution with another which would therefore be re-institutionalising the individual to the other institution for which he is receiving instruction: no?

The concept of self help is surely impossible if anybody other than 'the self' contributes to that goal; even by way of writing a book. All the individual is doing is using another concept to understand or assist their development.

Originally Posted by Tete123

Your correct of course but surely the de-institutionalised training only replaces an existing institution with another which would therefore be re-institutionalising the individual to the other institution for which he is receiving instruction: no?

The concept of self help is surely impossible if anybody other than 'the self' contributes to that goal; even by way of writing a book. All the individual is doing is using another concept to understand or assist their development.

You could say that the self uses the resources, which may include courses and books to reach a goal! You might be using books and courses to teach you something, but you would be the one who took the initiative to find those resources to achieve a goal!