In Notes from Underground, Dostoevsky describes the psychology of the underground man. He is someone you may relate to, and in the unlikely event that you do not at all relate to him, it is likely that you know people that do. The underground man is rational, intelligent, and perceptive. He claims to be afflicted … Read more
The Courage to be Disliked, which was wildly popular in Japan, was written by Ichiro Kishimi, who did for Adler what Plato did for Socrates. Alfred Adler was considered one of the three pillars of psychology, alongside Freud and Jung. The latter psychoanalysts focused on analyzing the unconscious, an aetiological approach (that seeks to determine past causes … Read more
It has gradually become clear to me what every great philosophy up till now has consisted of—namely, the confession of its originator, and a species of involuntary and unconscious auto-biography; and moreover that the moral (or immoral) purpose in every philosophy has constituted the true vital germ out of which the entire plant has always … Read more
The term “inferiority complex” was coined by psychologist Alfred Adler. The idea is that each individual is born with a weakness, this may be physical or not. For example, someone might be born with bad vision, hearing, or locomotion. These children tend to develop insecurities about these shortcomings (organ deficiencies) that they deliberately choose to spend … Read more
Adler was not interested in theories of the unconscious (psychoanalysis) the way Freud and Jung were. Instead, he was concerned with the practical world, particularly the social world. Understanding Human Nature is a book about understanding why people do the things they do, what arbitrary influences they had in childhood, and what attitudes hold them … Read more
Toxic people are zombies. They are the Walking Dead, the White Walkers – brainless, but physically present, they march towards one goal, to convert every living thing in their path to their own ideology – or rather, the dominant ideology within them. Nietzsche had an interesting idea – that we have many sub-personalities and that … Read more
A list of books referenced by Jordan Peterson in 12 Rules for Life. Solzhenitsyn, A.I. (1975). The Gulag Archipelago Based on his experience of being incarcerated, and that of 200 prisoners and Soviet archives, Solzhenitsyn reveals the apparatus of Soviet repression. Waal, F. B. M. de (2007). Chimpanzee politics: Power and sex among apes … Read more
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson is not about giving no fucks about anything, it’s about choosing the few things to give a fuck about. A funny book with sharp insights worth remembering. Seek Out Negative Experiences Don’t look for positive experiences, don’t chase after pleasure mindlessly, doing that is … Read more
In Sapiens, Harari mentions Buddhism a couple of times, as a means of escaping the absurd mission of our lives: the constant chase of positive feelings and repression of negative feelings. When you crave positive feelings, you are waging a losing fight against nature. Harari gives the example of standing on a sea shore, watching … Read more
Sapiens by Harari is an ambitious attempt to summarize the history of humankind, including our harsh beginnings when we competed with other human cousins for resources, our conquests, our innovations, our tragedies, and our greatest achievements. This book will teach you about where you came from, and it will give you an idea of where … Read more