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Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

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

#311

Post by BeetleB »

swagtricker wrote: post #275
BeetleB wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess you didn't get to the point where he says: >There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white. >You may be shocked by these…

Thank you for sharing this. I still have the copy on my bookshelf in my office. I know that I'm a different person now from when tried to read it 10 years ago. I'll pick it up again.

To be fair, the second half of the book (soon after he comes out of prison) is relatively poorly written compared to the first half. A lot of rambling, preaching and jumping around chronologically. I wonder if Alex just got lazy or had some kind of deadline to meet.

The movie's not bad, to be honest. Obviously can't capture everything, but overall does a good job.

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

#312

Post by Mahn »

bitL wrote: post #272
pulkitsh1234 wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I really think happiness is just a result of our brains filtering out unpleasant facts, we learn that the whole childhood; how can you be happy if: 1. the whole nature is based on preying on the weak, and that's mandatory for survival; right now some animal "kid" is being eaten alive by some predator without "empathy" of any kind 2. at this very moment some person that might be relatable to you in some special way (l…

If you frame happiness like that, then yes, it'll be hard to be happy. But happiness, I think, is not an objective state that you get to when all your expectations, desires and wants are met. That's just the story our primitive animal brains tell us, but the reality is that happiness is an inner mental state, and the influence that external factors have on us is just our own imagination.

We choose to be unhappy. By fixating on our wants, our worries, our anxieties, or desires, by refusing to be happy unless everything is exactly what and how we want, we don't let our body and our mind be. I think it's only when we let go of our destructive thoughts, when we let go of what has been and what will be, and just live in the present, in the moment, that we can experience a real state of happiness.

It sounds esoteric and counter-intuitive, I know. But just consider the thought. I personally find this to be more and more true the older I get.

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

#313

Post by [deleted] »

emodendroket wrote: post #288
rgbrenner wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this definitely depends on where you are. In the US, 1 in 4 are evangelical [0].. and 24% believe the bible is the literal word of god [1]. 0. Pew paper, no longer available.. so wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20090304020453/http://pewforum.o... There's probably more up to date poll on this somewhere though. 1. http://news.gallup.com/poll/210704/record-few-americans-beli...

I feel like this is one of those things that people say but, when push comes to shove, don't actually believe. Does anyone actually believe in the firmament described in the creation story?

[deleted]

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

#314

Post by e_tm_ »

Alan Watts - The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are - The Wisdom of Insecurity - Psychotherapy East & West

Herman Hesse - Siddhartha - The Journey to the East

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations

Seneca - Letters to Lucilius

Daniel Quinn - Ishmael

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

#316

Post by bmpafa »

asavadatti wrote: post #298
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

ack, yes. thank you!

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

#317

Post by [deleted] »

emodendroket wrote: post #288
rgbrenner wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this definitely depends on where you are. In the US, 1 in 4 are evangelical [0].. and 24% believe the bible is the literal word of god [1]. 0. Pew paper, no longer available.. so wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20090304020453/http://pewforum.o... There's probably more up to date poll on this somewhere though. 1. http://news.gallup.com/poll/210704/record-few-americans-beli...

I feel like this is one of those things that people say but, when push comes to shove, don't actually believe. Does anyone actually believe in the firmament described in the creation story?

[deleted]
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