"The awkward truth, though, is that a similar, if less extreme, addiction to ‘fresh starts’ underlies much of what we do. **Self-improvement undertakings rest on the unspoken assumption that, by sheer force of will, we can cut ourselves free from unwanted personality traits once and for all**. Unsurprisingly, self-help authors are the worst offenders: see, especially, books with titles such as The Great Life Makeover and The Fresh Start Challenge. But fresh-startism seeps throughout private and public life: it is also, for example, the promise of most politicians campaigning for election, and of managers unveiling strategic plans to overhaul ailing companies." --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[self-control]], [[self-reflection]], [[fresh-startism]], [[non-fiction-books]], [[self-help-books]] **Source** -- [[20241114100017 - B - Help!]]