Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#291

Post by zuzuleinen » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:20 PM UTC

JoshMnem wrote: post #277

sarabande wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This book was not worth the hype for me; I read the whole thing, but regret purchasing it. - It sorely needed an editor. Echoing other's sentiments, it could have been - It used a gratuitous amount of Bible quotes, which 1. weren't necessary to make his point, 2. were often referenced as if they were data, and how people actually behave, rather than anecdotes/fiction I got suckered into to buying the book because the…

This[1] is worth reading. "Jordan Peterson's popularity is the sign of a deeply impoverished political and intellectual landscape" [1] https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/03/the-intellectual-we-d...

I'm sorry but the first paragraph is very unfair and not true in my opinion.

You can figure out for yourself, watch this debate and tell me if Peterson is the type of person described in the article.

https://youtu.be/FmH7JUeVQb8

I promise I'll read your full article beyond the first paragraph :)

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#292

Post by mikearagua » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:20 PM UTC

deathWasp271 wrote: post #4

aytekin wrote: post #3

“A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy” by William Irvine has taught me appreciate what I have and take it easy on myself when things don’t go as planned. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JHNQG/

Yes, this was another one of the books I read last year. I liked how it separated the world into internal and external. I realized how much smoother life became once I focused on living with an internal set of principles, rather than external expectations.

If you like Stoicism you should try Pierre Hadot's What is Ancient Philosophy and at least the main essay from Philosophy as a Way of Life. He's an excellent writer and you can get other useful perspectives from the other ancient schools. The Epicurean take on pleasure (absence from pain) is helpful as well as the ancient skeptical practice of equipollent dispute.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#293

Post by emodendroket » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:21 PM UTC

WhompingWindows wrote: post #221

emodendroket wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fundamentalists and literalists are a very small minority of Christians and their movement is more or less a reaction to science/the Enlightenment that didn't really exist in any significant strength before the 19th Century (and honestly it's hard to square with a careful reading of the Bible, which contradicts itself in ways that present problems for literal readings). Even as far back as Augustine you have Christia…

Oh ok, thank you for your response. What are some examples of what the Christian faith offers you, the comprehensive framework?

I don't know how good a job I'll do describing it briefly, but I can try.

The fundamental message we can take, in my interpretation, is that every human being is deeply flawed and yet had inherent dignity and worth, regardless of nationality, status, wealth, etc., and that it is the duty of a Christian to keep these things in sight and help his fellow man. Not necessarily in dramatic or obvious ways, but as a general inclination. Of course there are a lot more details but I think this is the core.

Of course you might object that you don't necessarily have to be Christian to believe those things, but looking around you'll see many examples of behavior driven by different axioms (and given the environment Christianity came to exist in, a message about the dignity of the poor would actually have been going seriously against general trends).

This isn't as clear as I'd hoped but I hope it gives some idea of where I'm coming from.

Since you are a scientist, I'll mention I thought this Feynman talk was astute. http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/49/2/Religion.htm

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#294

Post by emodendroket » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:23 PM UTC

lostcolony wrote: post #289

emodendroket wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In context, I think Paul's message is "human beings die because of sin, but through belief in Christ you can have eternal life."

And the Genesis message with sin bringing death into the world, too. But I'm not sure what your point is?

Maybe I misread you, but I thought you were suggesting something to the effect of Paul telling people that sinners, as judged by humans, should be put to death.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#295

Post by aik » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:24 PM UTC

pulkitsh1234 wrote: post #182

zuzuleinen wrote: post #12

I highly recommend 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. This book gave me the courage to take responsibility in my life and start working towards things which are important for myself. As the author once said, you don't get not to pay a price, you only get what price to pay. It actually gave me the courage to leave Berlin and go back to my country(Romania) which even though is more poor and low in quality of publ…

For some reason I am repulsive towards 'self-help' books. I always have a feeling that you just cannot sum up all the things to be "happy" or "content" or whatever in one book. I have seen numerous people who read inspirational quotes/books but the act the opposite way. I feel it is very difficult to change how the internals of a person work, reading a book will definitely push you in the right direction, motivate yo…

If I read a 300 page book and it has even just one sentence that somehow speaks to me and makes me introspect or reconsider or change some mental model I have, I absolutely find it with while. Sometimes the one encounter is enough to cause change (though sometimes it takes a while for my brain to change/adapt), and sometimes it takes multiple encounters with the idea.

IMO any book can be categorized as "self-help" - most business books I read, psychology books, biographies, etc, I read to enjoy, and the best ones (the ones I tend to enjoy the most and remember) are those that I'm changed by (ie. improved) in some way.

People get too caught up in labeling things instead of trying it out and seeing it works for you. You can read (for example) a celebrity gossip magazine and finish with great personal insights - the probability is just low - but if you do, awesome! Same goes with "self-help" books.

I also think it's highly dependent on timing. A book one year may have no meaning to you in one moment but be life changing in a future moment. It's the difference between reading things applicable to your situation now vs future need - the former approach is generally much better.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#296

Post by emodendroket » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:26 PM UTC

castlecrasher2 wrote: post #281

WhompingWindows wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're a practicing Christian, I don't know many, can you indulge my curiosity? Do you believe in the literal truth of the bible, creationism, the big bang? I am a scientist and I doubt I'd ever be convinced to follow a religion whose followers believe in some stories and myths that are essentially anti-scientific. I don't mean to be harsh or barbed, I'm just saying I'd view the book as a mythological artifact from 2…

I'm not who you replied to but am also Christian, specifically LDS. For context, we believe the Bible to be the word of God, so far as it is translated correctly. In my opinion, it's a mistake to think of biblical stories or any other stories for that matter as literal truth. For example, God created the world in six days and on the seventh He rested. But what is six days? Is it six 24-hour, Earth-space days? Is it s…

This explains things I think better than I was.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#297

Post by gkya » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:31 PM UTC

grumdan wrote: post #274

db1 wrote: post #13

1. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Mostly the bits about how our society is mostly built on collective fictions. 2. Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse I remember being very moved reading this, but I can't quite remember why. Looks like it's time to re-read it.

Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse is also a great read, dealing with feelings of meaninglessness and how they relate to one's identity.

Hesse us one of my favourite novelists. I'd also suggest Knulp as an interesting read, though not very on-topic in this general thread.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#298

Post by asavadatti » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:31 PM UTC

bmpafa wrote: post #122

All of these are novels. In my 20s I felt guilty and frivolous for reading fiction, but eventually I realized I could learn a lot more walking in a protagonist's shoes than I could reading self help etc. 'My Struggle' by knausgard. Lengthy but worth it, even if you only read book 1. On face it's just the angst of some middle class writer, but following him into the recesses of his own introspection is really somethin…

Did you mean The Border Trilogy?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6163.The_Border_Trilogy

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#299

Post by mikelothar » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:32 PM UTC

Not sure it’s for everyone, but I’m sure it improved my way of thinking. It’s a book called Drug of Choice by Mark van Stratum, https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06X9C6MJ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=...

In many ways him and I came from similar backgrounds, only his situation was in many ways more harsh. Losing his one arm as a kid, growing up in a bad neighborhood in Holland, becoming a drug dealer, everything in his life was heading the wrong way. But he managed to pull himself together, leaving the country, training himself to achieve the most amazing life.

I read it without knowing anything about it, which I can recommend (so sorry for these first spoilers, but there’s so much more I won’t spoil).

I’ve also read Mans Search For Meaning, recommended in 12 Rules For Life. Also good, I agree.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#300

Post by gkya » Fri, May 11, 2018, 6:37 PM UTC

Read philosophy. Not because it shows you a particular truth, but it teaches you to think objectively and with structure. I have been a very depressive adolescent, stepped out of it reading philosophy, learning how to think, and eventually creating my system of thought.