Mindfulness for normal people. There is heavy subject matter at times but the overwhelming sentiment is that of hope.
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Matt Haig!!!! a book that makes you appreciate that life is good the way it is and we should probably not regret certain decisions
Oct 28, 2024
“… he felt the strain of being alive and wished he had stayed in bed, but he made himself carry on…” - Small Things Like These (2021) by Claire Keegan
Jan 19, 2025
This one changed me, blending well with my Absurdist and Buddhist beliefs.
The thesis of Becker’s book is that human civilization is rooted in our internal defenses against the inevitability of death. We struggle to accept our impermanence and thus devise ”immortality projects” that we hope outlive us. If we must die, we hope to be remembered via some kind of legacy that will live on symbolically. These projects could be grounded in one’s work, family, or religion.
We seek symbolic illusions that assuage our death anxiety, or we drown ourselves with triviality and hedonism. Either way, our survival instinct makes it difficult for us to face the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life.
While the topic is heavy, shining a light on the terror of death, it also helps me feel lighter. It reminds of how many of the things that feel so urgent in life are really just distractions. Everything we do is beautifully temporary. Life is building sandcastles on the beach. And while it can be beautiful and meaningful for us to create and collaborate, there is a lightness to the understanding that everything we ever do or make will one day be nullified by our ultimate annihilation.
So, in other words, don’t take yourself too seriously.
Dec 9, 2024
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Uber, anything food related, Chess.com etc. etc.
Jan 23, 2024
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I'm 28 and I've got absolutely nothing to prove anymore.
Feb 6, 2024