East of Eden.
Timshel — ‘Thou mayest’
Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
351–360 of 389 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#352Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 :)
The article mentions that interview and concedes Peterson comes out stronger there.
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#353Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 :)
The article mentions that interview and concedes Peterson comes out stronger there.
I think both had strong arguments at times.
Quite fascinating discussion, like watching a match of intellectual boxing :)
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#354Earlier 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…
Wow that's quite a depressing list, how long have you been curating it?
Assuming you won the birth lottery (no terminal illness, overall healthy, work in tech given you're on HN), then you are in the top echelon of society and success.
There are many things to be happy about e.g. volunteering to give back, settling down with a significant other, starting a family (or not), traveling the world, cooking, fixing cars, shooting guns, etc. While you partake in these activities (hobbies?) you can get lost in them and for brief moment, nothing else in the world matters i.e. your list. This gives you something to look forward to and a routine away from existential ideation.
Humans are social creatures and we've evolved this way. Generally speaking the majority of us derive happiness from the ones we care about in this weird thing we call life. Thanks for sharing the list!
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#355Earlier 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…
All your points are true and I agree with them. When I raise similar viewpoints to some people they tend to regard me as pessimist, but I actually feel quite stable and happy with my life. I'm curious how do you feel or deal with the facts you listed here?
In my view, searching for happiness is a bit pointless in a world where everything is temporary and brutal in many ways. But there are things which you know you can avoid to not make your life a living hell(Peterson's words) such as doing excessive drugs and alcohol. As Charlie Munger used to say once is much easier to try to not be stupid than trying to be smart. I totally agree with that. After avoiding things which will make you miserable for sure, it all comes down to probability: it's still probable that life will f*ck you up in a grand way no matter how many good things you did. Just hope for the best and be very grateful if you're life is not a living hell now. Meaning is very important. Life itself is meaningless but we get to decide what it will mean in the end. When I decided to leave a good career to move back to a poor country because I wanted to be close to my family I gave a meaning to my life, which is "family is important to me and I will prioritize it no matter what".
Lastly, Peterson book is not about searching for happiness, is just a readme manual about dealing with chaos. Some ideas are not necessarily mind blowing, one can find good tips in stoicism, buddhism or whatever religion or philosophy. But his book can be a start.
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#356Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#357Bhagavadgita Act now to establish Dharma.
I'd recommend this translation/commentary: Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002PK14SA/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#358Okay, here's an unusual one that hasn't been mentioned yet (and I'm completely serious with this suggestion): Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance. [1]
Musk is a polarizing figure, no doubt, but what really struck me, at least as presented here, is his vision for the future. That he's not working for money or glory so much as to save the planet and the species. That's a pretty big goal, and a tremendous service to humanity.
More than any book I've read recently, this made me stop and reflect on my own life and what I'm doing with it. I work, primarily, in entertainment, which has its own value, and I try to make a positive, if small, difference in the lives of people around me, but ... nothing like on the scale of what Musk is doing.
This is a pretty indirect suggestion, and nothing in the book advocates this sort of introspection, but it was my profound take-away. Who knows? It might have a similar effect on you.
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#359Johan Goudsblom - Nihilism and Culture
Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
#360Earlier quoted context omitted.
I recommend reading the whole article. Things are busy at work today, but I'll check it out when I have some time. If you could point me to a shorter clip within the almost 2 hours video, I will be more likely to look at it.
You can watch anytime at least the first 20 minutes. I just wanted to give a counter example to the first paragraph of the article which describe him like an opaque person who doesn't listen. I particularly like this debate because it shows he can have a decent conversation with a well known atheist and he actually listens to him. That's why I find the first paragraph really off which makes me having some doubts abou…
He did not came particularly well off in that debate.