Scan barcode
A review by julia_may
The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
5.0
4.5 stars rounded up. Despite the somewhat gimmicky name, this book had valuable insights to offer. The following notes are as much a summary/reminder for myself as a review. I got this book from the library and intend to purchase a hard copy at a later point. I have no doubt that I will re-read it, at least in part.
Chapter 1 was on the issues with the rah-rah positivity and all the bullshit motivational seminars. This covered familiar-to-me ground, mostly. I watched a documentary some years ago about the motivational/positive/magical thinking seminars and how it's big business that's pretty much a scam. Lots of repeat attendees who get a temporary boost in optimism and motivation that then wears off and they book themselves in for another "hit".
Chapter 2: Stoicism and negative visualisation - I was already familiar with the Stoic philosophy and concepts so this didn't have anything new for me but still a concept I think is hugely valuable and I've been relying on during the 2020 plague year.
Chapter 3: Buddhism, non-attachment and meditation. Interesting points about the true objectives and value of meditation, which isn't to make you giddy with joy, despite the popular Western ideas. Interesting theory about treating your inner thoughts as another sense (like smell, sight, etc) - implying impermanence and encouraging non-attachment to own thoughts.
Chapter 4: The issues with goals and goal setting. I loved this chapter and this was one of the two favourites (the other one was chapter 8 on mortality). It articulated and expanded on the issues I have with goalsetting as a supposed panacea to all things wrong with your life. Amusing and entertaining insight: The "Yale Goals Study" - which I've also seen referred to so the "Harvard Goals Study" - does not exist. Nope. It's a big freaking lie. Yet I don't know how many books and articles about motivation and goalsetting refer to it. Fascinating. And you can be certain that any book still referring to it has been written by someone who hasn't done their research. Other interesting concepts/sources: Goalodiocy and Lisa Ordonez's academic paper "Goals Gone Wild" (the more specific goals encourage unethical behaviour).
Chapter 5: the concept of Self, consciousness and Eckhart Tolle's theories. This was one of the more abstract chapters and I didn't find it hugely helpful, mostly because I wasn't entirely certain how to translate the information into something practical. I suspect this one will need re-reading and dwelling on the ideas for longer.
Chapter 6: safety/certainty - unachievable objectives, pursuit of which leads to more problems, including falling into the trap of certain cognitive biases. Interesting concept: the temptation to make suboptimal decisions to end uncertainty. This chapter actually led me to re-think a major decision I was contemplating and re-evaluate my solution to a problem. I realised that I had fallen into the trap in pursuit of ending uncertainty. Allowing myself to be more comfortable with uncertainty made it clear that my proposed decision was not objectively the best one. So definitely brownie points for practical application.
Chapter 7: the value of failure - is it even that valuable, despite what the self-made entrepreneurs tell us in their autobiographies? An exploration of survivorship bias. This was one of the weaker chapters for me because, again, I couldn't quite figure out what the practical application should be. I feel like this one needed a bit more analysis and the ideas needed to be mature a bit more. I might get more out of this on the second re-read.
Chapter 8: death and mortality - my other favourite chapter, together with the goals. Mostly due to the shift in thinking about the fear of death. We are not afraid of death, we are afraid of not existing... as if we will be conscious to realise that the benefits of living are ceasing. Why be afraid of death if we are not afraid of unconsciousness/sleep? Interesting exercise about contemplating mortality and potential regrets at deathbed. Interesting concept: denial of death - see Ernest Becker book by the same name.
I don't know if this book will/can make me happier, but I know that the strategies in it have made me less anxious and have given me more coping tools than any positive affirmations ever have.
Recommended for: people interested in exploring cognitive biases, dismantling their own incorrect assumptions and those who suspect that accepted common knowledge is sometimes wrong/based on wrong or unproven data.
Chapter 1 was on the issues with the rah-rah positivity and all the bullshit motivational seminars. This covered familiar-to-me ground, mostly. I watched a documentary some years ago about the motivational/positive/magical thinking seminars and how it's big business that's pretty much a scam. Lots of repeat attendees who get a temporary boost in optimism and motivation that then wears off and they book themselves in for another "hit".
Chapter 2: Stoicism and negative visualisation - I was already familiar with the Stoic philosophy and concepts so this didn't have anything new for me but still a concept I think is hugely valuable and I've been relying on during the 2020 plague year.
Chapter 3: Buddhism, non-attachment and meditation. Interesting points about the true objectives and value of meditation, which isn't to make you giddy with joy, despite the popular Western ideas. Interesting theory about treating your inner thoughts as another sense (like smell, sight, etc) - implying impermanence and encouraging non-attachment to own thoughts.
Chapter 4: The issues with goals and goal setting. I loved this chapter and this was one of the two favourites (the other one was chapter 8 on mortality). It articulated and expanded on the issues I have with goalsetting as a supposed panacea to all things wrong with your life. Amusing and entertaining insight: The "Yale Goals Study" - which I've also seen referred to so the "Harvard Goals Study" - does not exist. Nope. It's a big freaking lie. Yet I don't know how many books and articles about motivation and goalsetting refer to it. Fascinating. And you can be certain that any book still referring to it has been written by someone who hasn't done their research. Other interesting concepts/sources: Goalodiocy and Lisa Ordonez's academic paper "Goals Gone Wild" (the more specific goals encourage unethical behaviour).
Chapter 5: the concept of Self, consciousness and Eckhart Tolle's theories. This was one of the more abstract chapters and I didn't find it hugely helpful, mostly because I wasn't entirely certain how to translate the information into something practical. I suspect this one will need re-reading and dwelling on the ideas for longer.
Chapter 6: safety/certainty - unachievable objectives, pursuit of which leads to more problems, including falling into the trap of certain cognitive biases. Interesting concept: the temptation to make suboptimal decisions to end uncertainty. This chapter actually led me to re-think a major decision I was contemplating and re-evaluate my solution to a problem. I realised that I had fallen into the trap in pursuit of ending uncertainty. Allowing myself to be more comfortable with uncertainty made it clear that my proposed decision was not objectively the best one. So definitely brownie points for practical application.
Chapter 7: the value of failure - is it even that valuable, despite what the self-made entrepreneurs tell us in their autobiographies? An exploration of survivorship bias. This was one of the weaker chapters for me because, again, I couldn't quite figure out what the practical application should be. I feel like this one needed a bit more analysis and the ideas needed to be mature a bit more. I might get more out of this on the second re-read.
Chapter 8: death and mortality - my other favourite chapter, together with the goals. Mostly due to the shift in thinking about the fear of death. We are not afraid of death, we are afraid of not existing... as if we will be conscious to realise that the benefits of living are ceasing. Why be afraid of death if we are not afraid of unconsciousness/sleep? Interesting exercise about contemplating mortality and potential regrets at deathbed. Interesting concept: denial of death - see Ernest Becker book by the same name.
I don't know if this book will/can make me happier, but I know that the strategies in it have made me less anxious and have given me more coping tools than any positive affirmations ever have.
Recommended for: people interested in exploring cognitive biases, dismantling their own incorrect assumptions and those who suspect that accepted common knowledge is sometimes wrong/based on wrong or unproven data.