WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR: A Book That Changes Lives

by Dan Millman

“Facts,” he said, tossing aside the tofu he’d been dicing. “Dan, you are suffering; you do not fundamentally enjoy your life. Your entertainments, your playful affairs, and even your gymnastics are temporary ways to distract you from your underlying sense of fear.” “Wait a minute, Soc.” I was irritated. “Are you saying that gymnastics and sex and movies are bad?” “Of course not. But for you they’re addictions, not enjoyments. You use them to distract you from your chaotic inner life — the parade of regrets, anxieties, and fantasies you call your mind.” “Wait, Socrates. Those aren’t facts.” “Yes, they are, and they are entirely verifiable, even though you don’t see it yet. In your habitual quest for achievement and entertainment, you avoid the fundamental source of your suffering.” He paused. “That was not something you really wanted to hear, was it?”