I recently read four books that influenced my way of thinking.
First; how to be an Adult, by David Richo. In summary, with just a sentence: it's a book which deals with relationships with others, with oneself and how to live by a few principles, like; Unconditional love with no pain and guilt, to live fully by your words, and to allow yourself to make mistakes and never hold grudges toward other's faults. This manuscript teaches us how to be responsible with our emotions, our thoughts, and our relationship with others. I learned that I have to stand my ground, without having to feel angry or hurt.
Also, the author, with a Jungian Perspective, talked about the Shadow and its manifestations. How what we project to others tells more about ourselves than them! It taught me that love has to be unconditional and that if someone leaves me, it's okay to feel the pain but eventually I have to move on. Growing up, I had one (and only) girlfriend, and the day that she left me, she took pieces of me with her. With this book, I gave up the idea of an "idyllic love", with more a mature one; if someone decides to leave you, it's their choice and it's fine to feel resentful but life doesn't end there.
A good book tbh.
The next book: How to befriend your shadow by Jean Monbourquette; a Quebecois priest and scholar.
With the premise of the said book, it's basically; how to recognize the "Shadow" of the Jungian Archetypes, and how to tame it.
So, the question, before analyzing it, is; what is the Shadow? And how does it manifest itself?
The Shadow is basically your subconscious manifestation within yourself. It derives from your Self, and your personal. To make it simple; what you believe, consciously, has its roots deeply in your unconsciousness. We talk about the "Shadow" because it is not visible to the naked human eyes.
How does it manifest?
When living in a said society, humans developed moral guidelines and behaviors that align with the common people. One may say this idea of social norms develops hypocrisy, and they may be right. But also, it represses our deepest and darkest desires. In a social setting, some things are to be said, and some avoided. We repress them in two different way; one, consciously with the intent to "blend it" and the other one, unconsciously; becoming then a Taboo.
Going from just a taboo, it later become a part of your Shadow, as this desire is repressed without your will. That being said, its manifestation starts when you're presented with the external world. Imagine there's someone. Imagine that someone eating in a way that you repulse and hate it; as your education taught you, eating with your bare hands is acceptable, but not if you're eating with chopsticks. Imagine that person in front of you. How will you react to it? You will say or act in ways that indicate your detestation of that behavior.
And that's a part of your shadow. You repulse things or people according to what you've repressed.
What does it tell you about yourself?
Repressions tell more often about your own self than others. If you hate someone being dirty, it's your deeply rotten insecurity that is talking; you hate BEING that someone, in that place. Because of your fear of being misjudged as dirty, you resent when someone is dirty.
You fear the eyes of others, as a mirror-effect, you will hate someone if they leave the social norms. You will project your own insecurities onto them. This is the basics of the Shadow. There's also an alternative of the Dark Shadow; it starts when you're admiring someone else human qualities and actions. It says that you're projecting that you desire to acquire their qualities as yours.
How the Author's suggestion work during your process of taming the unconscious?
With Jung, symbols have their say. They work as the pure image of one's true self. Symbols quite often manifest in your oniric dreams. The Interpretation of dreams is a tool to understand the relationship between your conscious self and unconscious self. If you listen to them carefully enough, you will hear your unconscious self. Analyze your dreams. In the process of your self-actualization, in your dreams, the more intense they are and terrifying, the better you will understand your unconscious self. The Shadow works by symbols, learn to tame it when dreaming, despite the horrible and terrifying situations you're set in.
For example, I remember, younger, around when I was just a teen that I was afraid of Jins and other demons. One night, after having a good sleep, I suddenly dreamed of Jins. In context, we were in Djibouti, near a Mosque (that I build, as a volunteer, years before) and I was just wandering around, talking to the merchants there. When I encounter a group of nomad merchants, selling honey and milk. I went up to them, asked what was in their jar. They were hesitant then they let me have a quick look. I just opened the jar; what was there (may you ask);
a human head! I saw a human head in the jar! I immediately look back at the nomad dude, and he changed his appearance. I saw jins in their true form (or, in a more terrifying look).
After minutes of chase, we ran around the block, afraid of getting caught. Though unusual, I stopped there. Realized that I was in a dream, I had a lucid dream; I told them that I wasn't afraid of the demons and I'm stronger than them.
After that night, I never felt fear when dreaming about jins. I learned more about myself, about my fear of the unknown. My unconscious self was telling me to take more actions of my life, and that I was afraid of integrating myself to the process of Self-Actualization;
to sum up; I was afraid of being more Woke.
Wow that was such a long paragraph but the Shadow archetype is interesting for everyone! To learn that your resentment is just a facade of a deeper structure within yourself, and working toward your own happiness by learning that projections are just your wounds (that never healed), it forces you to forget about other's misbehavior and fault, it teaches you to be humble and compassionate as people are just humans.
I learned to decrease my hatred toward people. I don't specifically, as of now, hate anyone.
The other books are easy to summarize:
Seneca's book; On Time, is short. In the first pages, he goes into details on those who complain about not having time, on others who don't know how to use their time, and the ones who just their time for business purposes, not for themselves.
He explains that Time is such a concept that talks for everyone. We all complain about how little time we have, and how short human life is. In reality, human life is fact short compared to other mammals and other living beings, but it doesn't mean it isn't enough for us to take action and live in the present moment. As a stoic, Seneca's philosophy was simple: don't react when things are out of your reach and live simple. The people who don't know how to use their time are lost, de facto, they are wasting their only present gift.
And the ones who spend it on lucrative reasons are doing it wrong since life's more than a couple of pennies.
He gives out a few advice for those who want to heavily invest in their time:
First, find out that only the present exists. The past doesn't exist, and the future neither.
Secondly, don't rely on your emotions only. Live a life that you decided for yourself. Don't be the victim of circumstances.
Thirdly, find a group or a "family" spiritually speaking (and, philosophically). That those of us who have spiritual and philosophic families, are the most gifted. Because it will serve you as inspirations and a way to have a transcendence; a deeper meaning of your life!
And lastly, he advises us to have a balanced life; money, spirituality, and knowledge are welcome. In the stoics' logic, life never exceeds. So, thus, don't be excessive. Live a balanced and well-adjusted life, basically!
First; how to be an Adult, by David Richo. In summary, with just a sentence: it's a book which deals with relationships with others, with oneself and how to live by a few principles, like; Unconditional love with no pain and guilt, to live fully by your words, and to allow yourself to make mistakes and never hold grudges toward other's faults. This manuscript teaches us how to be responsible with our emotions, our thoughts, and our relationship with others. I learned that I have to stand my ground, without having to feel angry or hurt.
Also, the author, with a Jungian Perspective, talked about the Shadow and its manifestations. How what we project to others tells more about ourselves than them! It taught me that love has to be unconditional and that if someone leaves me, it's okay to feel the pain but eventually I have to move on. Growing up, I had one (and only) girlfriend, and the day that she left me, she took pieces of me with her. With this book, I gave up the idea of an "idyllic love", with more a mature one; if someone decides to leave you, it's their choice and it's fine to feel resentful but life doesn't end there.
A good book tbh.
The next book: How to befriend your shadow by Jean Monbourquette; a Quebecois priest and scholar.
With the premise of the said book, it's basically; how to recognize the "Shadow" of the Jungian Archetypes, and how to tame it.
So, the question, before analyzing it, is; what is the Shadow? And how does it manifest itself?
The Shadow is basically your subconscious manifestation within yourself. It derives from your Self, and your personal. To make it simple; what you believe, consciously, has its roots deeply in your unconsciousness. We talk about the "Shadow" because it is not visible to the naked human eyes.
How does it manifest?
When living in a said society, humans developed moral guidelines and behaviors that align with the common people. One may say this idea of social norms develops hypocrisy, and they may be right. But also, it represses our deepest and darkest desires. In a social setting, some things are to be said, and some avoided. We repress them in two different way; one, consciously with the intent to "blend it" and the other one, unconsciously; becoming then a Taboo.
Going from just a taboo, it later become a part of your Shadow, as this desire is repressed without your will. That being said, its manifestation starts when you're presented with the external world. Imagine there's someone. Imagine that someone eating in a way that you repulse and hate it; as your education taught you, eating with your bare hands is acceptable, but not if you're eating with chopsticks. Imagine that person in front of you. How will you react to it? You will say or act in ways that indicate your detestation of that behavior.
And that's a part of your shadow. You repulse things or people according to what you've repressed.
What does it tell you about yourself?
Repressions tell more often about your own self than others. If you hate someone being dirty, it's your deeply rotten insecurity that is talking; you hate BEING that someone, in that place. Because of your fear of being misjudged as dirty, you resent when someone is dirty.
You fear the eyes of others, as a mirror-effect, you will hate someone if they leave the social norms. You will project your own insecurities onto them. This is the basics of the Shadow. There's also an alternative of the Dark Shadow; it starts when you're admiring someone else human qualities and actions. It says that you're projecting that you desire to acquire their qualities as yours.
How the Author's suggestion work during your process of taming the unconscious?
With Jung, symbols have their say. They work as the pure image of one's true self. Symbols quite often manifest in your oniric dreams. The Interpretation of dreams is a tool to understand the relationship between your conscious self and unconscious self. If you listen to them carefully enough, you will hear your unconscious self. Analyze your dreams. In the process of your self-actualization, in your dreams, the more intense they are and terrifying, the better you will understand your unconscious self. The Shadow works by symbols, learn to tame it when dreaming, despite the horrible and terrifying situations you're set in.
For example, I remember, younger, around when I was just a teen that I was afraid of Jins and other demons. One night, after having a good sleep, I suddenly dreamed of Jins. In context, we were in Djibouti, near a Mosque (that I build, as a volunteer, years before) and I was just wandering around, talking to the merchants there. When I encounter a group of nomad merchants, selling honey and milk. I went up to them, asked what was in their jar. They were hesitant then they let me have a quick look. I just opened the jar; what was there (may you ask);
a human head! I saw a human head in the jar! I immediately look back at the nomad dude, and he changed his appearance. I saw jins in their true form (or, in a more terrifying look).
After minutes of chase, we ran around the block, afraid of getting caught. Though unusual, I stopped there. Realized that I was in a dream, I had a lucid dream; I told them that I wasn't afraid of the demons and I'm stronger than them.
After that night, I never felt fear when dreaming about jins. I learned more about myself, about my fear of the unknown. My unconscious self was telling me to take more actions of my life, and that I was afraid of integrating myself to the process of Self-Actualization;
to sum up; I was afraid of being more Woke.
Wow that was such a long paragraph but the Shadow archetype is interesting for everyone! To learn that your resentment is just a facade of a deeper structure within yourself, and working toward your own happiness by learning that projections are just your wounds (that never healed), it forces you to forget about other's misbehavior and fault, it teaches you to be humble and compassionate as people are just humans.
I learned to decrease my hatred toward people. I don't specifically, as of now, hate anyone.
The other books are easy to summarize:
Seneca's book; On Time, is short. In the first pages, he goes into details on those who complain about not having time, on others who don't know how to use their time, and the ones who just their time for business purposes, not for themselves.
He explains that Time is such a concept that talks for everyone. We all complain about how little time we have, and how short human life is. In reality, human life is fact short compared to other mammals and other living beings, but it doesn't mean it isn't enough for us to take action and live in the present moment. As a stoic, Seneca's philosophy was simple: don't react when things are out of your reach and live simple. The people who don't know how to use their time are lost, de facto, they are wasting their only present gift.
And the ones who spend it on lucrative reasons are doing it wrong since life's more than a couple of pennies.
He gives out a few advice for those who want to heavily invest in their time:
First, find out that only the present exists. The past doesn't exist, and the future neither.
Secondly, don't rely on your emotions only. Live a life that you decided for yourself. Don't be the victim of circumstances.
Thirdly, find a group or a "family" spiritually speaking (and, philosophically). That those of us who have spiritual and philosophic families, are the most gifted. Because it will serve you as inspirations and a way to have a transcendence; a deeper meaning of your life!
And lastly, he advises us to have a balanced life; money, spirituality, and knowledge are welcome. In the stoics' logic, life never exceeds. So, thus, don't be excessive. Live a balanced and well-adjusted life, basically!
Last but not least:
Bruce Lee's book: Striking Thoughts.
It's a semi-long book, with many aphorisms from the well-known Hong-kong Movie Star, Bruce Lee.
With over 80 citations from him, many of them can be read as such: one part deals with his personal religious beliefs (he believed in the TAO), a part about his relationships with himself and others, another one about his career and businesses (and also, his work ethics), a large part is dedicated to modern philosophy and the last one is about the TAO.
I won't get into the details but this book was inspiring. It showed me that Bruce Lee was someone with a profound heart. He knew the challenges that a human has to go through, to learn about themselves.
He was from Hong Kong, in his teenage years, he was kinda like a thug. Spent his time wandering in the streets. His dad, knowing this, took him to a Martial Art club; giving him a new chance to have a better life.
With that new activity, he developed a passion for martial arts and his interest in Philosophy got him to America. Actor at a young age, he went on becoming one of the most iconic actors in the World, all due to his attitude in life, with money, fame, and martial art.
For him, life was a matter of physicality. We have to be active, physically and mentally, to live to the fullest. A healthy mind is a healthy body; the TAO (or the Path) has no shape; be shapeless by moving. A stainless mindset is free of Old Traditions, prejudices, and racism. He was a true go-getter, a self-taught man who learned discipline and lived a full life. He taught me to always go after my passion in life and to be perseverent. He talked about the Impermanence of life; meaning that, nothing lasts in life, and in that sense, everything matters. Life is short, yet it is the most intense and important actor in our lives. Do not waste it with unnecessary habits.
To Conclude:
These books had impacted me in my personal philosophy. That my life is the only thing that exists (besides, obviously, death), and I should be more careful in my life decisions, with my time and emotions managements. I discovered more about myself when I forgave my parents, my family, and even my "enemies" who hurt me, by forgiving myself of letting them hurt me. Life is suffering, and it's fine to feel distrust and pain. But as an adult, my reaction is to keep moving. Funny, or ironic, Bruce Lee's philosophy of movement correlates also with other books.
Time, the Shadow self, Personal Philosophy, and unconditional love are all the keys that I needed, in a specific, sporadic moment of my life.
Have a blessing day/and week!
Bye
Bruce Lee's book: Striking Thoughts.
It's a semi-long book, with many aphorisms from the well-known Hong-kong Movie Star, Bruce Lee.
With over 80 citations from him, many of them can be read as such: one part deals with his personal religious beliefs (he believed in the TAO), a part about his relationships with himself and others, another one about his career and businesses (and also, his work ethics), a large part is dedicated to modern philosophy and the last one is about the TAO.
I won't get into the details but this book was inspiring. It showed me that Bruce Lee was someone with a profound heart. He knew the challenges that a human has to go through, to learn about themselves.
He was from Hong Kong, in his teenage years, he was kinda like a thug. Spent his time wandering in the streets. His dad, knowing this, took him to a Martial Art club; giving him a new chance to have a better life.
With that new activity, he developed a passion for martial arts and his interest in Philosophy got him to America. Actor at a young age, he went on becoming one of the most iconic actors in the World, all due to his attitude in life, with money, fame, and martial art.
For him, life was a matter of physicality. We have to be active, physically and mentally, to live to the fullest. A healthy mind is a healthy body; the TAO (or the Path) has no shape; be shapeless by moving. A stainless mindset is free of Old Traditions, prejudices, and racism. He was a true go-getter, a self-taught man who learned discipline and lived a full life. He taught me to always go after my passion in life and to be perseverent. He talked about the Impermanence of life; meaning that, nothing lasts in life, and in that sense, everything matters. Life is short, yet it is the most intense and important actor in our lives. Do not waste it with unnecessary habits.
To Conclude:
These books had impacted me in my personal philosophy. That my life is the only thing that exists (besides, obviously, death), and I should be more careful in my life decisions, with my time and emotions managements. I discovered more about myself when I forgave my parents, my family, and even my "enemies" who hurt me, by forgiving myself of letting them hurt me. Life is suffering, and it's fine to feel distrust and pain. But as an adult, my reaction is to keep moving. Funny, or ironic, Bruce Lee's philosophy of movement correlates also with other books.
Time, the Shadow self, Personal Philosophy, and unconditional love are all the keys that I needed, in a specific, sporadic moment of my life.
Have a blessing day/and week!
Bye
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