This book started out on a positive, inquisitive note but flattened somewhere midway, probably because the format was monotonous and repetitive. Nevertheless, the book was worth reading because the author tried to relate difficult psychological and psychoanalytical concepts into present day dilemma that a lay person can understand. As I read each chapter, I felt as if each chapter was written for a specific friend or for myself, especially the chapter “What’s the point” when I was at the nadir of despair. Having read
Each chapter has the same format with an introductory question, then presented theories and the attempted explanation for the chapter question. The book is somewhat superficial in its analysis, which reminded me of reading a textbook where a paragraph or two summarizes a person’s lifetime of work. Kahneman’s book “Thinking Fast and Slow” was referenced quite often but since I have already read it, this book didn’t do justice to Kahneman’s analysis. The book became interesting when I encountered names and books that I was familiar with, such as Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, Dan Ariely, Viktor Frankl, Sigmund Freud, Briggs Myers, and Abraham Maslow. This book pique my interest in Carl Jung and Erich Fromm’s work since they were mentioned a few times but I haven't read their books.
My favorite chapter: “What’s the point?”:
• “We have no predestined fate, and each of us must decide how to live as fully, happily, and meaningfully as possible” Irving Yalom
• The psychotherapist Viktor Frankl insisted that we always have a choice, even when it seems that all is lost. Frankl suggests that when we are faced with suffering (or anxiety) we step into the situation knowing that we are always free to choose at least one thing: our attitude toward the situation.
• When you have absolutely nothing left, you need to do three things: 1. You adopt a cold curiosity about your fate. 2. Put together strategies to survive. 3. Most important, find a reason to live, for the next few minutes and over-arching the rest of your life.
• Happiness cannot be pursued; it can only ensue. But meaning and purpose can – and should – be freely chosen.
Since I am reading the Harry Potter series, the author was on point with “What’s the real appeal of Harry Potter?”