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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?

#73

Post by martin-adams »

The books which I have read which have had a profound impact on how I think and improve what I do are:

1. Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us - Daniel H. Pink

2. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth

3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck - Mark Manson

4. Be Obsessed or Be Average - Grant Cardone

5. High Performance Habits - Brendon Burchard

6. The Obesity Code - Jason Fung

The summary of what I've taken out of this is really fall in love with the intrinsic reward of doing things, take on the challenge but work at it pragmatically and patiently. It's okay to be a little crazed at what you want, do it for you, and always reflect, learn, adapt and try again.

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

#74

Post by davidgould »

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English. This book is wonderfully calming, don't worry about what it means, just soak in it.

I'll also add another vote for The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus and for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

On a darker note, if you had any illusions left, Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon.

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

#75

Post by nsomaru »

Read in this order:

1. The Fall of the Human Intellect 2. The Holocaust of Attachment 3. The Vedanta Treatise

The author for them all is 'A. Parthasarathy.' The books are meant as a course of study, coupled with reflection in the morning between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. This systematic approach eradicates ignorance in its three stages, viz:

- "I do not know" - "I do not understand" - "I do not experience"

By their three antidotes; Reading/Hearing, Reflection, Meditation. It is interesting to note that these are effective practices for gaining almost any sort of knowledge, in steps which gradually bridge between you, the seeker, and the object which is sought (the known).

Good luck!

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

#76

Post by Finnucane »

zuzuleinen wrote: post #22
nikivi wrote: post #9

Alan Watt's Wisdom of Insecurity book was enlightening for me. You can read it for free here: https://antilogicalism.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/wisdom-of...

If you like Alan Watts you might enjoy Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice from Shunryu Suzuki. https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditatio...

If you like that, I'd further recommend the biography of Suzuki, Crooked Cucumber. It's an interesting read.

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

#78

Post by exelius »

john37386 wrote: post #23

Maybe you can start from scratch with the root foundation of your personnality. Sometimes we don't understand why we react to some situations. So, I did this Myer Brigg online test at 16personalities.com I red the description of my personality and it was like reading in my head. I bought the longer version and it really helped me better understand myself. Hope it can help you too. ENTP

It’s better to think of MB as a menu than as a deterministic thing. Many people shift between different types depending on context.

For example, I’m a solid, hardcore ENTJ at work but a sensitive-flower INFP at home — it’s hard to get much more diametrically opposed than that.

IMO the “intuitive/sensing” dimension is the only one that is close to “innate” since it just describes how you make inferences and decisions. The rest change based on context.

It’s almost better to look at the “16 personalities” as the different mindsets people can come from. MB tests are useful, but take them with a grain of salt. It’s not some innate thing that you can’t change.

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