The Sussexes’ self-help mantras are meaningless wafflespeak

Miranda Levy has never been a fan of self-help nonsense…

I’ve never been one for the Royals, really – the adventures of Princess Diana didn’t trouble my 20something years. Same so, too, with Harry and Meghan. I did try to watch that self-pitying African documentary last autumn, but switched off in dismay after 15 minutes.

But then, this weekend, I came across a quote in the paper from the Sussexes’ new spiritual guide, “the world’s biggest self-help guru”, a Houston research professor named Brené Brown. Dr Brown’s books are adored by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Reece Witherspoon. Her TED talk “the Power of Vulnerability” has been viewed 50 million times.

Sample quote: “You either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling your worthiness,” said one.

Of course you do.

Now, I’ve never been a fan of self-help nonsense, but Brené’s proclamation – and similar – made me roll my eyes and laugh so hard I almost fell of the breakfast chair.

So I wrote this for the Telegraph.

Not for fans of Gwynnie’s vagina candle.

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