Life 3.0 Max Tegmark
Elevation series David Brin
Ask HN: What book changed your life?
381–390 of 539 posts
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#382Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Nihilism then?”. The Bible unabashedly says “yes, if you don’t have God” I am not trying to argue theology here, just giving another perspective. I was raised an an observant Catholic household, and I went every week from ages 5-19 and missed only a few times due to illness. But I never believed, I just don't have a spiritual bone in my body. None of what you quoted from Solomon about the impermanence of our materi…
> It is a colossal failure of imagination to think that without God people must believe nothing matters. I haven't ever talked to an unbeliever who believes nothing matters, though I've heard of nihilist philosophers. I suspect non-philosophers who believe in nihilism usually have something from which they're trying to escape; they're not being honest with themselves. Of course each moment matters - it's a time of li…
Yes, I'm sure it is scary if you have lead your life assuming that there was a blissful afterlife. But you must recognize that that was Jesus' main selling point: follow me and you'll have eternal life. Judaism believed that when a person dies, they are simply gone. Yet somehow they found purpose and meaning and weren't frightened of a yawning chasm of eternal emptiness.
> when we all die and no humans are left, that'll be it for all of us. At that point,
Yup, just like the universe existed for 14B years before humans came along.
> will anything that transpired previously matter at all?
Here is a thought experiment I've heard before. Say I'm really rich and have a tropical paradise, and I invite you to spend a month there. "It'll be great!" I promise, so you come. When you arrive you find I'm actually a twisted genius. I have developed a pill which will completely reset your memory back exactly like it was 30 days prior. In front of you is a spinner which alternates between: "party" and "torture".
I tell you, go ahead and spin. If it comes up on "party," you'll have the most amazing time for the month. You'll have private snorkling trips with Jacques Cousteau's grandson; you'll eat the finest food cooked by 5 star Michelin chef's I have flown in. Name your favorite bands and I'll arrange for them to fly in and perform for you. No expense will be spared to entertain you. But if you spin "torture", oh boy, it will be bad. Nothing that will leave a physical scar, mind you, thinks like waterboarding, being shocked by high voltages, capsacin injected into your urethra, etc. But at the end of 30 days, I'll give you a pill that will wipe any trace of memory from the previous 30 days, no PTSD or future nightmares.
So the question is: does it matter if you spin "party" or "torture"? After all, in 30 days, there will be no memories nor after effects. I'm sure that just about everyone would pick party. Why does the choice matter? Even though the memory of the torture will be wiped out, while you are actually experiencing it it is very real suffering (or joy in the other case).
To someone who doesn't believe in the afterlife, the fact that all of our memories dissolve when we die (in the case of dementia, even before we die) and nothing outlives our body, the joy and suffering we experience in life matter.
> ... sin ...
Look up the definition of sin: transgression of God's moral law. As someone who doesn't believe in God, I also don't believe in sin. I believe some events are good and some are bad, but I don't believe in sin. I am consciously or unconsciously worried about upsetting God by transgression His laws to the exact same degree you are consciously or unconsciously worried about upsetting Odin for transgressing his wishes.
I said originally I don't want to argue theology. I was just pointing out that non-believers are not nihilists, contrary to the claim of the person I was responding to. I have lots of thoughts about the other things you've written, but this doesn't seem like the right forum for them.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#383Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for being vague, I just started The Way of Kings last week. I've read Elantris and the first Mistborn trilogy from Sanderson. I'm roughly half way into this first book of The Stormlight Archive and I've already come to the conclusion that this likely is my favorite of his work. I very much agree with your thoughtful sentiment. I've been wondering if the story of Joseph from the Bible had influence on Kaladin's…
> Sanderson is a Christian To be more specific and accurate he’s a Mormon. I’m told that the Cosmere owes a lot to Mormon theology, like the henotheism, embodiment of God and non-trinitarianism.
I was at Brandon's home just yesterday, although he wasn't present. Next time I see him, I'll have to ask him about this. I am also a Mormon, but nothing in the Cosmere stood out to me as being directly inspired by our religious beliefs. But I could certainly be wrong.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#384Galileo's Defence, by Octavian Paler
Imagines Galileo Galilei dealing with the fact that he recanted his theory that the Earth moved around the Sun.
A wonderful meditation on truth and love.
https://www.amazon.com/Galileos-Defence-Octavian-Paler/dp/97...
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#385Dune. Specifically the parts about how a human can choose their reaction to an external event. And the ability to overcome fear. Man's Search For Meaning. Again, overcoming the worst situations and finding joy anywhere. How to Practice. Understanding what you are feeling and why you are feeling it. Emotional Intelligence. How the amygdala sends signals to the brain, why it does that, and how to recognize your negativ…
I've always wanted to read the Dune books, but have no idea where to start. It seems like there are so many, and so many prequels and so many optional side stories. Is there an agreed on book to start with and an order to follow?
I'll echo the others' sentiments. Only bother with the Dune books authored by Frank Herbert starting with the first published Dune itself. The "Dune" books written by his son are bad fan-fiction.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#386Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is unusual in these types of threads. Could you expand on this answer? Why and how did it change your life?
I can trace some drastic changes in my own life's trajectory to this book. Baxandall treats a familiar subject in starkly unfamiliar terms. Putting it in context but not making it any more relatable as it would be in a work of fiction or scholarly microhistory. Rather he works out some fundamental relations, social networks, kin structures, schooling and tribal knowledge, higher cortical functions etc. from the basic…
This is actually the most interesting book on this thread. I ordered immediately. I’ve been on a big Renaissance kick lately. You find inspiration in the unlikeliest of places. Thanks!
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#387Nassim Taleb’s books made me throw out everything I learned during my 4 college years in economics: in particular Fooled by Randomness and Antifragile.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#388Getting Things Done By David Allen. I feel like everything I do is a decision and not a reaction now.
I was going to post this. The act of breaking down an overwhelming abstract goal into simple actionable steps and getting everything out of your head into a trusted system has helped me achieve a mental peace unlike anything else I've tried.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#389Dune. Specifically the parts about how a human can choose their reaction to an external event. And the ability to overcome fear. Man's Search For Meaning. Again, overcoming the worst situations and finding joy anywhere. How to Practice. Understanding what you are feeling and why you are feeling it. Emotional Intelligence. How the amygdala sends signals to the brain, why it does that, and how to recognize your negativ…
I've always wanted to read the Dune books, but have no idea where to start. It seems like there are so many, and so many prequels and so many optional side stories. Is there an agreed on book to start with and an order to follow?
Read Dune and it’s three sequels. The rest ranges from decent fan fic to drivel.
Devoured it all though!
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#390Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can never seem to get to the heart of what Krishnamurthi is trying to say. I just find myself getting lost in his words. I can’t tell if there’s no there there or if I’m just not understanding his angle.
I don't get that much out of him. He starts off sounding very profound, but then makes a statement that doesn't compute. And then his arrogance makes him unable to explain himself further (see youtube clips).
Like Colbert had truthy he has ‘profoundy’. You read or listen and nod along. Read again and think wait..what?