system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Western Buddhism is overrated.

So I've been doing a good deal of reading about Buddhism and find value in many of its precepts. mindfulness, reducing one's ego-based desires, gratitude, and self-control. One need not embrace the religious or even philosophical tenets of Buddhism to accept evidence from psychological research that shows that the above practices have a net positive effect on one's life. There is an entire field called positive psychology that studies the practical benefits many of the values held in Buddhism and several other Eastern religio-philosophical systems (Western philosophy has Stoicism, whose tenets overlap quite a bit with Buddhism, especially as a response to suffering as part of the human condition.) But Buddhism is more popular and well-known than related philosophies, so I'm focusing on it. Unless one takes seriously the supernatural aspects of Buddhism (reincarnation, an immortal soul, escaping the cycle of rebirth by reaching some archetypal state of enlightenment), I don't see any reason to identify as such. 

Stoicism, Buddhism, Minimalism. If I may play armchair sociologist for a second, the void left by my generation (Millenials) foray into a post-Christian society is filled by varying degrees of metaphysical pretensions (astrology, New Age nonsnse) and practical philosophies (Secular Buddhism, minimalism). It seems that following positive psychology and looking at the evidence for what creates a healthy psychological life (positive thinking, expressing gratitude, appreciating the simple things, and having moments of mindfulness) is enough without attaching to a label. It seems to me that much of my generation that embraces Buddhism, albeit in a secular form) does so in a way that is often pretentious and culturally appropriative. Meditating for 10 minutes (while checking your phone halfway through) and posting memes of quotes by the Buddha (probably out of context and not even contemplated by the poster) just seems like one projecting an image of "Look how spiritual I am" when the insights being provided are not particularly groundbreaking in light of what we know now about psychology. For the Buddha, they were groundbreaking insights in ancient times. Now, we know better through psychology and have no reason to give mystical labels to what is just plain common sense. 

And just to add: Desiring to rid oneself of desires is a logical contradiction.
gpt
No-nonsense Buddhism for beginners does a pretty good job of separating the BS in Buddhism from what actually makes sense. Positive psychology is new and it's finding what the Buddha discovered millenia ago. That should give someone pause. 

The teachings of the Buddha doesn't involve deities. Modern Buddhist populations have adopted teachings to this effect though. And they're a little nuts when it comes to luck. In that way actual western Buddhism is actually pretty good. The Buddha's teachings minus the modern additions relating to the supernatural. A dude with a man-bun saying namaste is not western Buddhism. 

I think you are letting people who want to seem spiritual convince you they are Buddhists.