I stayed late yesterday, thinking about comments some people made about my writings and some of my activities, which some called them as nothing above chicken soup for the soul. I’m not out for self-defense. Nothing external can change my course.
My thought turns to the question: why there are so many chicken soup for the soul books on the market. In fact it's so popular that many Chinese are familiar with 心灵鸡汤 (Xīn líng jī tāng) which means exactly: chicken soup for the soul! You can laugh your head off on that😂.
There must be a huge market for this type of books. Then why do people turn to chicken soup books in the first place? I don’t have any definitive answers. Here are my thought on it.
First of all, briefly chicken soups for the soul are basically inspirational words and stories, meant to motivate souls and lift up spirits, having the same comforting and nourishing effect as chicken soup for the body. Simple recipe and straight-forward approach.
Secondly, why need them? You might consider the same question: why there are programs aimed at helping people get rid of drug or alcohol addictions. They are based on the same premise, that is, humans are not as strong as they claim to be. They lack of self-control and need outside help to either free from the undesirable addictions or live up to their own great expectations.
Chicken soups for the soul serve as a reminder from outside, reminding them of a better version of them out there and a bright future to work for. Put things in perspective, disentangle from daily messes and keep up the forward steam.
When my students call me personal mental trainer or her cheerleader, I think I'm giving them the right soups for the soul.