There is always that one thing that shifts your entire perspective on what it is to be alive. It might be something that happened to you in real life, a quote, or something that a famous person did. If you find that reading stimulates your thoughts the most, here are some books that you may rely on to transform your thinking:
Thinking, Quick and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, is widely regarded as one of the most important intellectuals and academics of the past half-century. Behavioural economics is considered to have been founded by Kahneman and his colleagues, and now they are considered to be its godfathers. This book is an overview of their complete body of work written for the general public.
Kahneman guides us through the mind and elucidates the two underlying systems that are responsible for the way that we think:
- System 1 processes information quickly, based on gut feelings and intuition, while
- System 2 is more deliberate, takes more time, and is logical.
This book is perfect for you if you have even the slightest bit of interest in behavioral economics. It is an astoundingly dense book, full of intellectual surprises and valuable information for those interested in self-help. That never fails to make me laugh and frequently brings tears to my eyes. This book will cause you to rethink how you think about other things. From a scientific point of view, it will assist you in better understanding who you truly are.
Because Kahneman is so quiet and modest, it is impossible not to admire the writing that he has produced. This is the best book on self-help that anyone could ever need to read, primarily due to the fact that you’ll become aware of the dozens of different ways in which your brain is lacking. You will be a little bit less certain of yourself, a little bit more conscious of your own biases and mental shortcuts, and a little bit more skeptical of all the nonsense that is being thrown your way – by other books and by other people.
The denial of death – Ernest Becker
As a matter of fact, people interpret and experience books differently, but what drew me to this book was the way that Becker theorized that:
- all of our anxieties are the result of an unconscious fear of death; and
- everything that we do (or don’t do) is a way to preserve our lives after we are gone is what drew me to this book.
The problem is that when people don’t get what they want, they either spiral down into a deep depression or find ways to numb themselves rather than confront the harsh realities of their situation – this is an issue with our society today.
When you finish reading this book, you will have a new perspective on who you are. You come to the conclusion that people are squandering their time and concentrating on things that have no significance in order to avoid thinking about their own mortality, which is irrelevant anyhow. Although it may sound discouraging, the reality is just the opposite of that. You have come to the conclusion that your worries were for nothing and the vast majority of your concerns are unfounded. Therefore, you decide to spend less time worrying that we are not talented enough, skilled enough, or fortunate enough to achieve what it is that we want to achieve.
On the other hand, the truth is that nobody gives a crap. You might as well prepare yourself for it. You might as well jump into any direction you want to. Nobody could care less. Absolutely nothing you do will ever be remembered in a meaningful way. And if it does, well you’re dead. You won’t be aware of it at all. Although it’s not an easy read, this book is definitely worth your time.
Man’s search for meaning – Viktor E. Frankl
One who has a reason to live for can be resilient in nearly any circumstance. If you haven’t read this book yet and want to have a more optimistic outlook on life, I highly recommend picking it up since it will transform not just your thoughts but also your attitude and the way you play the game.
It is without a doubt one of the most emotionally affecting novels I have ever read, and I recommend it to both customers and coworkers because it provides such a profound understanding of life, pain, and the purpose of it all.
The author was himself a man who had lived through an event that is difficult for a person living in today’s environment to imagine. He spent four years of his life at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, which managed to exterminate 1.1 million of those people.
When he was sent to the concentration camp, he had a successful career as a psychiatrist and was responsible for the development of a technique called logotherapy. Frankl had the idea that individuals who experienced extreme lows in their lives, such as feeling despondent or even suicidal, as was certainly the case for those who lived in concentration camps where they were literally deprived of everything, had the strongest will to find a meaning in their lives.
As we approach the present, when we seem to be getting out of the worst of this virus after hundreds of millions of people have died, there are residual psychological meltdowns that occurred with this lockdown as a result of people losing members of their families or witnessing them in an emotionally distressed state (research shows 1 in 4 young adults under 30 actually have considered suicide.) If, on the other hand, we maintain a firm acceptance of reality, a profound sense that life has value, and an uncanny ability to improvise, we will be able to discover mental tranquility.
Do not seek up any information about Frankl on Google until after you have finished reading the book, if at all possible. After that, conduct additional research on him and share what you find with others. I don’t believe that will be something you come to regret.
Siddhartha – Herman Hesse
This book draws a clear line between someone who mindlessly adheres to the teachings of a spiritual leader (Buddha) and someone who has a true comprehension of what it means to be spiritual.
It assists in providing an answer to the question where God is. Even if you don’t believe in God, this book will provide you plenty of food for thought about how to live your life with tenacity, confidence to try new things, and so on and so forth. The most important thing is to learn how to be happy in the job that you have and to recognize God in all things.
This story will keep you engaged the whole way through as you try to understand the battle that Siddhartha faces to find the way to approach God, and then come back as a typical trader, and then again pursue his purpose. It’s a timeless work that should never be ignored.
Algorithms to live by — Tom Griffiths & Brian Christian
Acclaimed author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths collaborated on a work that deftly draws from a wide variety of fields to demonstrate how the techniques used by computers can also be used to decipher very human concerns. They explain how to have better hunches, when to leave things up to chance, how to deal with overwhelming decisions, and how to interact with others in the most effective way possible.
This book is a fascinating investigation of how insights from computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making difficulties and illuminating the workings of the human mind in the process. This book is an interesting and enlightening read since it expertly mixes multiple different topics, including computer science, psychology, behavioral and applied economics, statistics, and others, into a single cohesive whole.
This book is chock-full of vivid examples, and it doesn’t get too bogged down in the nitty-gritty of the mathematics. The idea that deliberately utilizing algorithms when making everyday decisions will not only reduce stress but will also actually make us happier and free up more time for us to accomplish constructive things fascinates me. Read it in order to make more educated choices.
Superforecasting – Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner
We are all lousy at making predictions. Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner investigate the possibility that certain individuals are endowed with a genuine capacity for foresight, and moreover, what it is about them that allows them to excel at it and if it is possible for others to acquire these skills as well.
This book is written in an entertaining and approachable language, and it illustrates every idea with a good narrative. It frequently features national surprises, such as 9/11 and the lack of WMDs in Iraq, and it provides explanations of why forecasters missed what seemed clear in hindsight.
In the end, this is a book about critical thinking that issues a challenge to the reader, encouraging them to apply a higher level of rigor to their own way of thinking. Tetlock and Gardner have provided a significant improvement to the realm of internet factoids and rash decisions with their work.
You could be under the impression that there is not a significant requirement for accurate forecasting in either your professional or personal life. But, when you read farther into this book, you will discover a great deal of fascinating information, some of which may actually take you by surprise. In the end, it is a book that is very insightful not only on predicting, but also on leadership, organization, politics, and other related topics.
To summarize, you improve your mental capacity and overall quality of life by actively seeking out and absorbing new information. It gives you the opportunity to formulate your own viewpoints and opinions. The books on this list are ones that had a profound impact on my life and opened my eyes to new perspectives and ways of looking at the world. That gave me insight into a variety of perspectives. The objective is not to live in the same manner as someone else. You need to discover a way of life and line of work that only you can do in a way that is important and satisfying to you.
The concepts presented in these works opened my eyes to the reality and the world around me. The tales not only imparted valuable life lessons but also instructed me in the art of formulating insightful queries. Aside from that, it educated me, boosted my self-esteem, broadened my perspective, and made me a more intriguing person.
The pursuit of knowledge and the gaining of an understanding of things that one has never before comprehended is the most fascinating thing that can happen in this life. When you read more, your appetite for new information grows.
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