It’s only in recent years that I’ve stopped dismissing self-help books. I can’t really say how, why or when I began doing so, but it’s something to do with my understanding of what living the stoic life is, or rather my misunderstanding of stoicism. Keep a stiff upper lip. Don’t make excuses. Don’t complain. Don’t blame anyone except yourself, at least don’t do it aloud.

I still don’t pick up the books but by god I sure eat up the TEDtalks and podcasts. Do they help? Yes, they sure do. There’s a lot of bullshit to wade through but when you find the right threads and the right people it’s like opening the curtains and letting the light in. Dr. Ramani here is one of those who’ve helped shed the light on some aspects of my life. This is a good introduction. We all encounter narcissism in some aspect of our lives. Some of us (me, for example) were born into it. When you’re in it, it’s hard to recognize. It’s like the guy standing by the stream. He looks down at two fish swimming about and asks, “How’s the water?”

The fish look at each other, confused, and ask, “What’s water?”

So here we go. I recommend this woman, among others.