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“Anyone whose life needs a course correction would be fortunate to be guided by The Wisdom of Insecurity. My life still is, some thirty years later." —Deepak Chopra, from the Introduction
Alan W. Watts’s “message for an age of anxiety” is as powerful today as it was when this modern classic was first published.
We spend too much time trying to anticipate and plan for the future; too much time lamenting the past. We often miss the pleasures of the moment in our anxious efforts to ensure the next moment is as enjoyable. Drawing from Eastern philosophy and religion, Watts argues that it is only by acknowledging what we do not and cannot know, that we can find something truly worth knowing. In order to lead a fulfilling life, one must embrace the present—live fully in the now.
Elegantly reasoned and lucidly written, this philosophical achievement contains all the wisdom and spirit that distinguished Watts’s long career and resonates with us still.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Really helps you understand that life is all about this very moment in time.Not tomorrow or yesterday.What is this world if full of care if we don't have time to stand & stare
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4 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
What matters
8 Feb 2012
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This is an amazing book for 1951. Watts is probably one of the clearst writers dealing with the indescribable I have ever read. In this book he deals with the major teachings of Buddhism including the first 3 of the noble truth, impermanence, no self and dependent origination without a single word of jargon. He is able to relate these teachings in a meaningful way to the daily life and concerns of a person living in a western culture with poise clarity and some beautiful if sometimes ruthless turns of phrase. No doubt a very important book that has had nowhere near the attention it deserves, a real pity that few were interested since he was pointing to the inevitability of the bind the west now finds itself in. Now that the publishing industry and the professional "psychobabblers" are on the Buddhism/mindfulness wagon, here is a dependable reference that puts all their gloss and marketing panache to shame with pure content; not a wasted self congratulatory word in it anywhere. It's a must read ... and now I will pursue everything I can get my hands on that has come from this brilliant man.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Watts looks at the modern world (the more things change...)
18 Mar 2012
This was written in 1951, so I guess it is one of Watts's earlier books. He may have been still a Christian at the time, but he seemed to moving away from that and embracing more Buddhist concepts. He discusses the human condition and describes modern life in a way that does not seem the least bit dated. He points out that we are all anxious, clinging to hectic pleasures but worried that they will be taken away. Watts has a real gift for fresh, engaging insights, and his prose is always elegantly readable.
What is the solution? He gives us the Buddhist idea that there is no inherently existing self (although he does not use the term "inherently existing", that comes from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso). Watts does a lovely job of illustrating these ideas. He points out that there is no self apart from experience, and that there is no real time except for now. He brings up Ouroboros, the snake devouring its tale, and explains that this is a symbol of the divided self. When we posit a self apart from nature and experience, as Western thought does, we automatically create alienation.
So this was good stuff, maybe not as good as what I have heard in some of his recorded lectures (those I highly recommend, they used to be on the radio and are available for purchase), but still solid. I plan to continue listening to and reading the work of Alan Watts.
What is the solution? He gives us the Buddhist idea that there is no inherently existing self (although he does not use the term "inherently existing", that comes from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso). Watts does a lovely job of illustrating these ideas. He points out that there is no self apart from experience, and that there is no real time except for now. He brings up Ouroboros, the snake devouring its tale, and explains that this is a symbol of the divided self. When we posit a self apart from nature and experience, as Western thought does, we automatically create alienation.
So this was good stuff, maybe not as good as what I have heard in some of his recorded lectures (those I highly recommend, they used to be on the radio and are available for purchase), but still solid. I plan to continue listening to and reading the work of Alan Watts.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Excellent!
22 Aug 2011
Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book, well-written, life changing. Fantastic insights into the nature of reality vs. concept. Life Changing :)
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