The Let Them Theory has been praised across social media as a "life-changing" philosophy, yet one wonders if the buzz is more about clever marketing than meaningful substance. At its core, the book delivers a single, painfully obvious message: you can't control other people—only your reaction to them. This is a truism so well-worn it belongs on the label of a tea bag or at the bottom of an Instagram quote post—not in a book priced as a transformational revelation.

In this critique titled The Let Them Theory of Mel Robbins, scholar Richard Auchter examines and exposes the snake oil and quasi-psychology peddled in Mel Robbins' book, and the influencer industry at large, while also offering pragmatic perspectives on what real personal growth should look like.