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indigoreading's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.25
barrettcmyk's review against another edition
4.0
Hoooo boy if ever there was a book title meant for me, this was IT.
Spotted this one in an airport bookstore, didn’t pick it up, but was thinking about it days later, so I grabbed it at the library. Mostly, it’s the author’s journey through several different philosophies and cultures, and how they approach happiness. You’ve got stoicism, Buddhism...different cultures and their thinking about death (á la Day of the Dead in Mexico and other Latin countries). Really, really appreciated that this book didn’t necessarily promote One True Way to reach contentedness or enlightenment... mostly that it was about balance, and not trying so damned hard. Infinitely more palatable to this cynic... and more importantly, infinitely more *doable*.
Notes taken on my phone while reading:
”Negative capability“
§ understanding that the shortest path to positive mood is rarely a path to a genuine and profound happiness.
§ can be undertaken in Buddhism or stoicism or memento mori but all can work, all can contradict one another.
§ “entails moderation and balance and refraining from too much effortful struggling—including the practice of NC.”
“... the cult of optimism ... abhors a mystery. The greatest benefit of NC... is that it lets the mystery back in.” Letting go, balancing between doing and not doing, trying to to focus on all consuming goals or only looking at life as opportunity for security and success
Spotted this one in an airport bookstore, didn’t pick it up, but was thinking about it days later, so I grabbed it at the library. Mostly, it’s the author’s journey through several different philosophies and cultures, and how they approach happiness. You’ve got stoicism, Buddhism...different cultures and their thinking about death (á la Day of the Dead in Mexico and other Latin countries). Really, really appreciated that this book didn’t necessarily promote One True Way to reach contentedness or enlightenment... mostly that it was about balance, and not trying so damned hard. Infinitely more palatable to this cynic... and more importantly, infinitely more *doable*.
Notes taken on my phone while reading:
”Negative capability“
§ understanding that the shortest path to positive mood is rarely a path to a genuine and profound happiness.
§ can be undertaken in Buddhism or stoicism or memento mori but all can work, all can contradict one another.
§ “entails moderation and balance and refraining from too much effortful struggling—including the practice of NC.”
“... the cult of optimism ... abhors a mystery. The greatest benefit of NC... is that it lets the mystery back in.” Letting go, balancing between doing and not doing, trying to to focus on all consuming goals or only looking at life as opportunity for security and success
aniz_09's review against another edition
4.0
Sejak di bangku sekolah, banyak sekali ceramah motivasi yang diberi, sehingga terbawa ke universiti. Akhirnya kita terlalu bergantung pada motivasi, dan sudah bekerja pun, apabila rasa tiada mood, kita mencari atau membaca buku motivasi. Buku motivasi banyak mengajar kita untuk menukar atau mengubah apa yang kita rasa. Menyuruh kita dapatkan emosi yang sesuai sebelum memulakan sesuatu tugasan. Walhal, mood dan motivasi ni memang akan ada turun naiknya. Oleh kerana mood dan motivasi ni tak berkekalan, mengapa kita terlalu bergantung padanya? Cara yang terbaik adalah dengan membuat sistem kerja yang betul. Dengan sistem/proses kerja yang betul, tak kira ada mood atau tidak, kita tetap dapat memulakan sesuatu kerja atau tugasan.
Rata-rata buku motivasi atau bantu diri menyampaikan mesej yang biasa-biasa sahaja dan hampir sama kesemuanya, contohnya seperti fikir positif, tetapkan matlamat/gol, fokus, jangan bertangguh dan lain-lain lagi. Survivor bias, apabila media selalu memaparkan orang yang berjaya, dan menulis ciri-ciri dan sikap mereka. Walhal pada masa yang sama, ada sahaja orang yang berfikiran positif dan mempunyai ciri yang sama dengan orang yang berjaya tetapi masih gagal. Kegagalan bukan untuk dielakkan tetapi untuk dihadapi. Ini adalah kerana, terlalu sedikit perkara di dunia ini dalam kawalan kita. Orang yang berjaya bukan semata-mata kerana fikir positif, tetapi juga kerana banyak faktor lain, salah satunya adalah nasib.
Berfikiran positif adakalanya memakan diri. Kita terlalu memikirkan masa depan akan jadi lebih baik berbanding waktu sekarang. Kelemahannya adalah, kita terlupa menikmati hari ini kerana fokus pada masa depan. Terlalu berfikiran positif seolah-oleh kita mahu mengawal masa depan dan mahu ia mengikut kehendak kita. Namun, bagaimana jika keadaan semakin memburuk? Contohnya terhadap perkara yang berlaku di luar kawalan kita seperti masalah ekonomi, wabak, pemanasan global dan banyak lagi.
Kesimpulannya, berfikir positif/negatif perlu seimbang. Kesedihan bukan untuk dinafikan tetapi dihadapi. Agama, psikologi dan falsafah juga tidak terlalu menekankan untuk kita mencari bahagia di dunia ini. Agama mengajar dan mendidik kita untuk menyeimbangkan dan mengendalikan hidup ini dengan baik, tak kira semasa susah atau senang, kaya atau miskin, dan semasa berhadapan dengan pelbagai perkara tak dijangka.
Ada juga beberapa perkara yang saya tak setuju terutama dalam bab-bab yang terakhir. Namun, banyak perkara yang saya pelajari dalam bab terawal buku ini.
Rata-rata buku motivasi atau bantu diri menyampaikan mesej yang biasa-biasa sahaja dan hampir sama kesemuanya, contohnya seperti fikir positif, tetapkan matlamat/gol, fokus, jangan bertangguh dan lain-lain lagi. Survivor bias, apabila media selalu memaparkan orang yang berjaya, dan menulis ciri-ciri dan sikap mereka. Walhal pada masa yang sama, ada sahaja orang yang berfikiran positif dan mempunyai ciri yang sama dengan orang yang berjaya tetapi masih gagal. Kegagalan bukan untuk dielakkan tetapi untuk dihadapi. Ini adalah kerana, terlalu sedikit perkara di dunia ini dalam kawalan kita. Orang yang berjaya bukan semata-mata kerana fikir positif, tetapi juga kerana banyak faktor lain, salah satunya adalah nasib.
Berfikiran positif adakalanya memakan diri. Kita terlalu memikirkan masa depan akan jadi lebih baik berbanding waktu sekarang. Kelemahannya adalah, kita terlupa menikmati hari ini kerana fokus pada masa depan. Terlalu berfikiran positif seolah-oleh kita mahu mengawal masa depan dan mahu ia mengikut kehendak kita. Namun, bagaimana jika keadaan semakin memburuk? Contohnya terhadap perkara yang berlaku di luar kawalan kita seperti masalah ekonomi, wabak, pemanasan global dan banyak lagi.
Kesimpulannya, berfikir positif/negatif perlu seimbang. Kesedihan bukan untuk dinafikan tetapi dihadapi. Agama, psikologi dan falsafah juga tidak terlalu menekankan untuk kita mencari bahagia di dunia ini. Agama mengajar dan mendidik kita untuk menyeimbangkan dan mengendalikan hidup ini dengan baik, tak kira semasa susah atau senang, kaya atau miskin, dan semasa berhadapan dengan pelbagai perkara tak dijangka.
Ada juga beberapa perkara yang saya tak setuju terutama dalam bab-bab yang terakhir. Namun, banyak perkara yang saya pelajari dalam bab terawal buku ini.
lauralauralaura's review against another edition
3.0
This book really hit me with insights into things I am seeing going on in the world around me, and things I fight in myself, where fear (of discomfort, of vulnerability, of failure) has the potential to choke out joy and adaptability. The theme of the back half of my life: getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
mylaur's review
5.0
I read this after recommendation from wanting to read "The subtle art ofhow to not give a f*ck" because it'd say the same thing but with better prose and organization.
Each chapter is a paradigm shift, with beautiful quotes and proses. Must-read for getting attitude for you.
Each chapter is a paradigm shift, with beautiful quotes and proses. Must-read for getting attitude for you.
plcbaker's review
funny
informative
inspiring
4.5
He makes some really great points with humor. Lots to think about here.
spellygirl's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
This book was really not like I expected at all. The start was ok, and some parts in-between. But for me it mostly read as quotes from other books, and wishy washy philosophy stuff about not getting attached to stuff.
superracoon's review against another edition
1.0
The name says it all! If, like me, you have sat stone-faced opposite someone telling you people bring cancer upon themselves through negative thinking, then you'll see why the title suggests that the positive thinking movement is some kind of poison.
The Antidote has some nice practical ideas about stoicism, mindfulness meditation, the darker side of goal-setting, thinking about failure, and a brief introduction to some of the key ideas in CBT. If you forget all of it or it isn't for you at least the book will have made you laugh.
In the footnotes he mentions that there are some exceptions to the fact that self-help books are useless, one such exception being Feeling Good by David D. Burns. If you are going through a crisis or want to prepare yourself to deal with one in the future that is the book to read. The Antidote is an entertaining book about getting through the supermarket and the working day.
The Antidote has some nice practical ideas about stoicism, mindfulness meditation, the darker side of goal-setting, thinking about failure, and a brief introduction to some of the key ideas in CBT. If you forget all of it or it isn't for you at least the book will have made you laugh.
In the footnotes he mentions that there are some exceptions to the fact that self-help books are useless, one such exception being Feeling Good by David D. Burns. If you are going through a crisis or want to prepare yourself to deal with one in the future that is the book to read. The Antidote is an entertaining book about getting through the supermarket and the working day.