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126 reviews for:
The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness
Emily Esfahani Smith
3.92 AVERAGE
126 reviews for:
The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness
Emily Esfahani Smith
3.92 AVERAGE
The way the four pillars were showcased felt very obvious to me (this may be due to my higher education in counseling). I think this is a good book for beginning to think about how a meaningful life is crafted.
Her book presents interesting concept and research supports. However, there's a lot of redundancy throughout the book - to the point where i got anxious. Sometimes she would go on and on, bringing up 4-5 stories just to illustrate one main idea. It's almost like she gathered all of the randos' life stories and research, put them in separate boxes (each pillar of meaning), and then couldn't decide what to cut out.
A lot of research and ideas about how to enrich each person's life with meaning. I kept wondering how this could help now, after the pnademic, and how the research might change and evolve. Definitely worth a read.
Equal parts scientific, philosophical and inspirational.
Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world's deep need. - Frederick Buechner
What creates meaning in our lives? How do we know that our lives matter? These are questions that many people wonder about at some time in their years here on Earth. Great thinkers throughout the ages have pondered these ideals and offered the truth as they perceived it. And many are still trying to find the answer today, or turning to despair when they feel there is no meaning to be had. Smith begins in the way this search does fro each of us, with her own experiences. From memories of her childhood time around Sufi darvishes, reading great thinkers like Aristotle and Freud, to visits with speakers from The Moth, she pulls out threads from each source and weaves them together to form a complete picture - a tapestry of what makes a meaningful life.
In her presentation, she describes four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence. She gives multiple examples of how each pillar manifests itself, with quotes from sources such as researchers, artists, and authors. These exemplars are not only from past masterworks of literature or science, but from contemporary groups and individuals who are pursuing meaning in their own lives and trying to help others find it, too. And then she goes on to explain how finding these pillars and strengthening them can lead to personal growth and a way to improve the world around us. Whether it is the soul searching of Holocaust survivors like Frankl, or terminally ill patients in modern medical trials, the stories are honest and poignant.
Whether you are curious about what makes a life matter, or enjoy philosophical discussions of a meaningful existence, this book offers many different viewpoints and paths to take. Some may resonate more with one read than they do with others, but there is plenty to think about. And a little soul-searching is a good way to start this journey.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
In her presentation, she describes four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence. She gives multiple examples of how each pillar manifests itself, with quotes from sources such as researchers, artists, and authors. These exemplars are not only from past masterworks of literature or science, but from contemporary groups and individuals who are pursuing meaning in their own lives and trying to help others find it, too. And then she goes on to explain how finding these pillars and strengthening them can lead to personal growth and a way to improve the world around us. Whether it is the soul searching of Holocaust survivors like Frankl, or terminally ill patients in modern medical trials, the stories are honest and poignant.
Whether you are curious about what makes a life matter, or enjoy philosophical discussions of a meaningful existence, this book offers many different viewpoints and paths to take. Some may resonate more with one read than they do with others, but there is plenty to think about. And a little soul-searching is a good way to start this journey.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
It had good information, but it was very hard for me to read.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This is the sort of self-help-y non-fiction that I like best: it has a simple concept (that when we have belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence in our lives, our lives have meaning and are inherently satisfying) that it backs up with a wide variety of examples that I can relate to. Smith's voice is clear, warm, and relatable and makes her message very easy to understand and absorb.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced