There is also Confucianism: Vietnam has kept some useful bits, such as the belief in education and self-betterment, without the feudalistic overtones.

ECONOMIST: Vietnam

He began codifying a system of self-betterment, and set up an office near the corner of La Brea and Sunset, where he tested his techniques on the actors, directors, and writers he encountered.

NEWYORKER: The Apostate

Art is a process toward self-betterment.

FORBES: Mikhail Baryshnikov: Perfection Is A Theory