Just started that a couple of weeks ago myself. Interesting so far, and I have had to make myself a cheat sheet to keep track of all the character names.
@@greyone40 i'm around page 450 and so far i'm really enjoying it, i'm taking a day or two break right now just to let the parts i've read thus far simmer in my mind.
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books to retreat to when I am in hard times. Almost a existentialist/nihilistic Christian text that bring me so much comfort.
This is also my favourite book from the Bible , it is indeed very comforting but i wouldn't call it nihilistic since the belief in God and nihilism don't really go together :)
@@YourSocksRock @YourSocksRock Well in the most fundamental sense you are right, however, it certainly portrays a nihlistic ideology but offers a solution at the end of the book, perhaps the only true solution in a teleological sense, which is the abolishment of the meaninglessness and despair of life through a proper relationship with God.
I left my corporate job in 2005, and I've never regretted it. I made a lot more money than I would have if I had stayed in corporate America, and I've had unbelievable experiences and freedom. It was the best life decision I ever made. 15-20 years from now, I think you might feel the same way.
I have gotten great comfort and peace from Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Especially as a teacher: "I really hope you have been teaching Quality this year" hits home. Herman Hesse's "Der Steppenwolf" and "Siddharta", And somehow re-reading a part of "the Hitchhiker's guide" always cheers me up. Oh! and anything by Tom Robbins (Jitterbug Perfume!).
Surprised if nobody has already said this, but Emerson's writings put everything in perspective for me. As Nietzsche said "felt so at home in a book; felt so much, indeed, as if the home were my own".
As a Christian Minister, who is also trying to revitalize the love for the arts and philosophy among young people. Thank you for your content. It has helped me to often remember how I started on this journey and how to help others start as well.
Jared, this is your best video. I think due to your circumstances and - at least to my perception - the way your delivery has slightly changed, i found your words deeply moving. Good work. I hope this channel takes off and you can continue growing as a modern day teacher and philosopher.
When I am feeling down and discouraged, I reread Jane Austen. Tolkien and the Lewis trilogy work, too. Sometimes, rereading old favourites from childhood cheers me up -- The Secret Garden, or even the Narnia books. As you see, I'm looking more for rest and recovery rather than help figuring things out.😊
I'm not gonna lie and I know people might hate him, but I love some good Charles Bukowski. Although most of his poetry and novels are revolved around women and being drunk and drugged all the time, but, there is just some charisma in the man, that helps me. But of course, I don't feel the need to drink while reading his work. Another book is Kafka on the shore, I do love me some Murakami
There are very few earnest booktubers now so I really wish you happiness and good luck, stay true to you and keep enjoying books, if you really enjoy something it is easily conveyed by the lens, no acting needed. There is a wealth of literature hungry readers out there, we don’t want to know how many books you’ve read in 4 weeks rather which books are poignant or emotionally valuable and why, deep dives into these are good, classical literature has lots of fans
You have unleashed the beast within you... If it goes this way, you really will have to thank your employer for this for laying you off... You are on your self discovery path mate... I have my best wishes with you.... you are going to rock
I would like to share two books that are really good for coping with life. "Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way" by Kieran Setiya "The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters." M. Scott Peck To recognise that life is hard, could be a very freeing experience. When we stop having great expectations and just try do to our best and develop ourselves intellectually and mentally, then we potentially could be at peace and living a contented life.
Canticle for Leibowitz!! Hell yeah, great book. I thought i was one of only two people on the planet who's read it, but youve proven me wrong. Cheers, hope things get a little less stressful for you.
I would say the Bible, but then also comfort reads like Jane Austen. Wendell Berry’s poetry is excellent. I would also say Saint Augustine’s Confessions. Also, when I am stressed reading Agatha Christie is fun.
Not only was your video well executed, I've added alot of new books and authors to my personal reading list to help me go through life purposefully. Thanks Jared!
Took the UCBerkeley Latin Intensive over a summer long ago, and afterwards read The Consolation of Philosophy in Latin. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had; one that acted as a kind of balm.
Yay new video! Just love your videos honestly. And strangely enough, immersing myself in Dostoevsky usually gives me a lot of comfort and peace of mind.
I started reading philosophy back when you did the podcast on Apology, and now I have bought that same complete works for my birthday to continue my exploration of Plato. I look forward to reading some of the books in this video and seeing the channel grow more!
You deserve a good friend sir. There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Take heart. There is light and beauty up there no shadow can touch.
Here's the first words of an ad that played immediately after your video. "I'm going to show you how to write a book in an hour with this new Ai tool." I couldn't help but laugh. Weird times.
I read seneca as well when I got laid off. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Seneca was able to put my mind and heart to peace and satisfaction. Highly recommend.
I loved "Goodbye Darkness" by William Manchester. I've read it multiple times and I've enjoyed it on Audible, too. William Manchester has passed on, but in life he was a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific theater, fighting the Japanese in places like Iwo Jima and Okinawa. His account is often hair-raising and quite gruesome actually (fair warning), and yet it is also very vivid, sublime and deeply humbling. This is someone who has seen the hell of war, firsthand. His account gave me some perspective, that's for sure. One of my favorite aspects of his story is that even after seeing things and living through things that would leave most of us completely trashed in the brains department, he went on to build a great life for himself after the war; he earned multiple college degrees, got married, had kids and taught at Wesleyan University. He also wrote 18 books. I am amazed at his resilience, and his ability to rebuild after going through so much. I am moved by the power of his example. His writing style is also possessing of a "voice" that I've come to trust. It has a way of pulling you in. His other books are good too, but "Goodbye Darkness" is a book I find myself coming back to over and over again. I can't recommend it enough, but especially to anyone who's going through hard times.
I'm reasonably certain my dad read all his books, he was fascinated/obsessed with the military history WWII in the Pacific. He's gone now, but thanks for giving me a title to hunt for that I could manage. Will I find this one in his collection? Something to hunt for, thanks! (the library has a copy, if not ... )
Your endeavour is not merely a UA-cam channel; it's magic. I haven't even watched this video, but your videos are simply just beatific. इन खूबसूरत पलों के लिए धन्यवाद ।
Some books that have helped me (and continue to help me) in similar circumstances: * A Backward Providence (Steve Hays). A memoir of merit. By turns insightful and edifying. * The Bruised Reed (Richard Sibbes). Salve to a sad soul. * Faith and Life (B.B. Warfield). Warfield was a giant among theologians. He combined world class biblical studies, systematics, and "polemics" - no mean feat! Perhaps America's greatest theologian alongside Jonathan Edwards. Certainly Warfield was the preeminent intellectual standout of Old Princeton. My favorite work from his corpus is Faith and Life, a collection of sermons. Among other things, it shows Warfield was not an old stuffy academic, but also a passionately devoted human. * The Four Quartets (T.S. Eliot). Time and memory. Echoes of eternity. The “still-point of the turning world” in the Word of God made flesh. In a sense Eliot is autobiographical in his writings, for he moved from a bleak nihilism in The Waste Land to a sacramental high church Anglicanism in Four Quartets. * The Letters of Samuel Rutherford (Rutherford). Rutherford’s life was a life of constant turmoil in a tumultuous period of history. He suffered the death of his wife at an early age as well as the loss of all save one of his children. He was perpetually hounded by established state churchmen; he would have been tried for treason and executed had he not first died. Yet through it all Rutherford was a devoted pastor who dearly loved his flock. Ironically, the bulk of his letters (approximately 220 out of 365 letters) were written while Rutherford was in exile away from his flock. His flock lived in and around the little town of Anwoth in southwest Scotland near the English border. However, Rutherford was forced to move away from Anwoth by the ecclesiastical powers-that-be of the day. They forced Rutherford to live far north in Aberdeen where they thought he’d be silenced. Yet thanks to providences, thanks to God who can bring good out of evil, Rutherford’s exile did the opposite of silencing him inasmuch as his exile gave him occasion to pen his letters. "Though he died, he still speaks" (Heb 11:4). * The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). In my view, the stand-out quotation is: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” That goes for many truths in life, but perhaps most especially love. That is, love should be deep, not merely skin deep. * The Once and Future King (T.H. White). A gentle story written by a gentle soul in a harsh world, though tyrant shades lurk between its sheaves. * Proslogion (Anselm). The ontological argument is a stimulating argument for the existence of God, whether or not it's entirely successful. I think Alvin Plantinga may have the best version of it, though Plantinga later became skeptical of his own argument. In any case, I appreciate Anselm’s fides quaerens intellectum project. His reflections on the relationship between faith and reason are most stimulating. John Frame argues it may be a proto-presuppositionalism. * The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame). A father (Kenneth Grahame) writes bedtime stories to tell his only child, a sickly son (Alastair Grahame) who would die in his youth. These stories are set along the river Thames, in Edwardian England. Several heartachingly moving stories. A nostalgic voice in a nostalgic time. Beautifully told. Poetic.
I love THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. It's too slow and old-fashioned for many modern readers, I'm afraid, but I find it so bucolic and lovely. And I love the friendships depicted therein. Also, it's silly and fun and touts the simplicity & comfort of "home."
Your videos bring peace to a young humanities student all the way over to Portugal, and they also serve as a big inspiration and motivation every day. Thank you. All the best wishes to you!
If I ever get to voyage through an UA-cam channel of my own that honestly exposes my flawed intention of being "good" and "moral" maybe I'll feel proud of myself. Even through hard times you manage to be an inspiration; for that, congratulations, Jared.
I have a good video idea thats relevant to me. What are some good desk books for periodic reading? like if i had a book on my desk that during a downtime could flip to a page and read it and just be able to think on that. Like quotations of so and so, or a writer with very good prose, or just poetry.
This was awesome. It felt like a peaceful conversation i was having with a friend and I genuinely appreciate the recommendations. Off the top of my head i love revisiting the complete works of Florence Scovel Shinn, and Owning your own shadow by Robert A. Johnson.
Right now I am plowing through Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad. Beautiful reading. And some of Sylvia Plath's poetry written about the Yorkshire Moors.
I cannot believe that there are so little comments about THE DOG at the background. I absolutely loved that content is still very Jared, but it is delivered in less polished way. I have a plan to read A canticle next or this year. Also got hooked with the Intellectual life description. Thank you for your amazing work!
I'm a scholar in a field disposed to depression and when I'm down I fall back on Nietzsche. I've simply never encountered a philosophy more aggressively life-affirming and aesthetically beautiful than Nietzsche's project from Birth of Tragedy to Ecce Homo/Contra Wagner. I must have read Daybreak and Gay Science 10+ times each by now. Moving away from the desire to see or create a moral order in the world, in favour of an aesthetic affirmation of life in its totality, has been emotionally liberating.
My recommendations : The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is an inspiring real life story of how we can deeply connect with the natural world around us , more so in times of crises . Old Path, White Clouds by Thich Nhath Hanh This book is based on the life of The Buddha . Extensively researched with sparkling prose. One really feels like one has travelled back in time where philosophy was a way of life . Life with all its contradictions and conflicts ; palace intrigues; interpersonal challenges ; sociocultural upheavals and life in all its wholeness and luminosity and peace.
When my life gets out of focus, I turn to two books that I've read many times in my life. The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank. A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Bright blessings to you. I enjoyed your essay.
Erich Fromm's 'The Art Of Loving', Brad Warner's 'Sit Down And Shut Up' are books I've re-read when circumstances made me feel like I needed them again.
I always find myself going back to Dr Viktor Frankl’s work when faced with feelings of hopelessness, despair or being lost. Particularly Man’s search for meaning.
To Thucidides' Peloponnesian War, which this way and that reminds me that people (me, you) tend to do what we have the power to do and bear what we must, at most.
Having an adorable dog rolling around on your couch in your video about getting through hard times -- that might be better than reading!! Watching that!!
Hey I really liked your video about Stoicism and would enjoy a similar one on Neoplatonism! I study History and it has come up a few times but I haven't fully understood what it is all about yet. I think that would be interesting to understand philosophy in Late Antiquity & the Middle Ages and Christianity better. Thanks in advance!
Speaking of Boethius and books I read to get through hard times... My go to is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. That book never fails to make me laugh out loud for one reason or another and every time I read it I get something new out of it.
"Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" usually works for me, as well as Epictetus and Lucretius. Also, anything by St Augustine of Hippo. Maybe that's just the Roman Catholic in me, but there's something calming about communing with the mind of a man who seems genuinely interested in the common ground between faith and philosophy.
I always read Andy Weirs short story The Egg, when I'm feeling a bit lost in everything. I also go back to Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, to remind myself of my sense of purpose and place in life
This is so good. Thank you for the recommendations. I am also going through some difficult career-related struggles at the moment and looking for sustenance.
Thank you so much for sharing this video!! I find a lot of inspirations from this video!! I am also a philosopher turned UA-camr. I did have an academic job for nearly twenty years. But the way I got my job was pure luck. It just happened that my university needed someone to teach engineering ethics with an engineering background and I was there at the right time with the right qualifications. However, as much as I enjoyed the teaching and research, the work was very demanding and exhausting leaving little time to get to know my students and help them except the few who sought me out for help! I find more fulfilment in making videos and talk about what I am interested now!! The books I usually read for hard time are Tao Te Ching/ Dao De Jing and Chuang Tzu/Zhuangzi. These are the key texts for Taoism philosophy. I actually made a few videos about Chuang Tzu/Zhuangzi.
you have talked about it on the channel before, but i do think the gay science by nietzsche is such a great hard times read. nietzsche suffered a lot, and often didn’t live up to the ideals he created. the way he enforces a sense of vitality, of not being a passenger in your own life, of loving fate and using it to power oneself - it really jolts you out of your stupor and gets you on your feet with a real drive.
Thanks for the video, Jared. I feel like I’ve got the golden handcuffs on myself. Much of my time and energy is spent working on things that I don’t hate but don’t love either. All so I can make time for the things that feed my soul. While I definitely empathize with your recent predicament of being laid off (and can attest that it is not fun), part of me wishes for this forced push into freedom. I picked up “The Intellectual Life” on your recommendation. Looking forward to getting that in the mail. Thank you as always for the insightful video. Books have often seen me through some choppy waters as well.
incredible video. I have watched some of your videos piecemeal, but this made me subscribe. absolutely amazing discussion with so much depth to it, makes me want to respond to you and converse about what everything you mentioned. can't wait to see more from you.
In Parfit's _Reasons and Persons_ are a lot of thought experiments about why should we value future happiness over past happiness, or why should we value our own happiness over happiness that other people experience. It's laborious reading, and I don't hold to consequentialism as a theory, but a lot in that book to think about. And amen to Canticle for Liebowitz!
14:11 I am so happy that you mention how much you loved The Dispossessed! I am working through the Hainish Cycle currently and I really liked it more than The Left Hand of Darkness. It doesn’t seem to be a popular opinion right now.
Boethius, I return to once a year or so. That being said, wishing you the best man. Sounds like you're going through a lot and I feel for you as I'm also a philosopher in a corporate world.
Thanks for the video man! Can’t wait to read your writing. For me, personally, I read Schopenhauer when I’m down, which sounds like maybe it would make shit worse, but it actually makes me feel better, about my mindset and how I see things, like talking with a close friend. Good vid!
Hi Jared. First, I should say that I'm confident that you'll figure out your way through this phase. You're such a thoughtful person, and anyone who has an accurate understanding of reality is bound to succeed in this world eventually. Regarding the books that inspire me during tough times: I like David Whyte's book "essentials". I also like "The Heart of Awareness: a translation of Ashtavakra Gita" by Thomas Byrom
When times are tough, I read Maggie Nelson. Really, anything and everything she’s written is quite valuable; she’s not only comforting, but she exposes my vulnerability by challenging me and my thought processes. She’s incredible.
Nice one - I read King Alfred’s translation of Boethius at the start of the pandemic/lockdown. Alfred was trying to promote knowledge amongst his people so he translated what he saw the most important books in the world at that time into English.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is one for me. His struggles earlier on in his career as a chef helped me to see that things can change even if you feel like you're burning up all of your opportunities and hitting rock bottom
Though I liked all the recommendations, the last one was what I needed, even just the title poem. Thank you! And if you havnt done one would love a poetry reccomendations video.
During hard times I read the very hungry caterpillar.
❤
When the world is really dark, my go to book is Little White Dogs Can't Jump.
During hard times i read hentai
@@armitageshanks2499lol I understand the reference
I read children’s books for comfort quite frequently. The world is too complicated, and I just need to stop and breathe.
I love your adorable doggo rolling around on your couch!
Having a hard time right now and Dostoyevsky's TBK is bringing me comfort.
Just started that a couple of weeks ago myself. Interesting so far, and I have had to make myself a cheat sheet to keep track of all the character names.
@@greyone40 i'm around page 450 and so far i'm really enjoying it, i'm taking a day or two break right now just to let the parts i've read thus far simmer in my mind.
CP puts things into perspective for me, as does Hard Times and The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist
This is the only fiction novel I reread, just the chapters of Alyosha...
@@estranhaformadevida51 Alysha is incredible, no doubt.
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books to retreat to when I am in hard times. Almost a existentialist/nihilistic Christian text that bring me so much comfort.
This is also my favourite book from the Bible , it is indeed very comforting but i wouldn't call it nihilistic since the belief in God and nihilism don't really go together :)
@@YourSocksRock @YourSocksRock Well in the most fundamental sense you are right, however, it certainly portrays a nihlistic ideology but offers a solution at the end of the book, perhaps the only true solution in a teleological sense, which is the abolishment of the meaninglessness and despair of life through a proper relationship with God.
@@ExistentialChristian yes exactly, very well put. i'm afraid english is not my first language and i couldn't have said it better :)
I left my corporate job in 2005, and I've never regretted it. I made a lot more money than I would have if I had stayed in corporate America, and I've had unbelievable experiences and freedom. It was the best life decision I ever made. 15-20 years from now, I think you might feel the same way.
Good for you
What did you end up doing?
@@joeyes4178 Lots of stuff. Search engine marketing, owned a bookstore, did some consulting...
@@joeyes4178^ This would be super helpful for us who are younger (and for anyone) to know what you did!
What do you do now?
Excellent supporting performance from the canine friend on the sofa in the background
I was thinking the same. Comfort dog for the win!
I have gotten great comfort and peace from Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Especially as a teacher: "I really hope you have been teaching Quality this year" hits home. Herman Hesse's "Der Steppenwolf" and "Siddharta", And somehow re-reading a part of "the Hitchhiker's guide" always cheers me up. Oh! and anything by Tom Robbins (Jitterbug Perfume!).
Surprised if nobody has already said this, but Emerson's writings put everything in perspective for me. As Nietzsche said "felt so at home in a book; felt so much, indeed, as if the home were my own".
Thankyou.
As a Christian Minister, who is also trying to revitalize the love for the arts and philosophy among young people. Thank you for your content. It has helped me to often remember how I started on this journey and how to help others start as well.
Jared, this is your best video. I think due to your circumstances and - at least to my perception - the way your delivery has slightly changed, i found your words deeply moving. Good work. I hope this channel takes off and you can continue growing as a modern day teacher and philosopher.
Funny, because there's actually a lot of value in academics coming out of the university system and coming to make videos !
I agree with you. this is a great video by Jared. He seems more relaxed and (even t hough we don't know him) I imagine, he seems more himself.
don't be fooled, it's just the mic
Your dog in background😊😊
I enjoyed seeing the pup as well. 🐾
@@kimclenard I love my pets..
The Consolation of Philosophy in the thumbnail, therefore I must like
When I am feeling down and discouraged, I reread Jane Austen. Tolkien and the Lewis trilogy work, too. Sometimes, rereading old favourites from childhood cheers me up -- The Secret Garden, or even the Narnia books. As you see, I'm looking more for rest and recovery rather than help figuring things out.😊
Shout out to the Secret Garden.
I'm not gonna lie and I know people might hate him, but I love some good Charles Bukowski. Although most of his poetry and novels are revolved around women and being drunk and drugged all the time, but, there is just some charisma in the man, that helps me. But of course, I don't feel the need to drink while reading his work. Another book is Kafka on the shore, I do love me some Murakami
There are very few earnest booktubers now so I really wish you happiness and good luck, stay true to you and keep enjoying books, if you really enjoy something it is easily conveyed by the lens, no acting needed. There is a wealth of literature hungry readers out there, we don’t want to know how many books you’ve read in 4 weeks rather which books are poignant or emotionally valuable and why, deep dives into these are good, classical literature has lots of fans
You have unleashed the beast within you... If it goes this way, you really will have to thank your employer for this for laying you off... You are on your self discovery path mate...
I have my best wishes with you.... you are going to rock
I would like to share two books that are really good for coping with life.
"Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way" by Kieran Setiya
"The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck
"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."
M. Scott Peck
To recognise that life is hard, could be a very freeing experience. When we stop having great expectations and just try do to our best and develop ourselves intellectually and mentally, then we potentially could be at peace and living a contented life.
Always good to see you talking books Jared. Would enjoy a 'Top 10 contemporary works of fiction you MUST read' video.
Canticle for Leibowitz!! Hell yeah, great book. I thought i was one of only two people on the planet who's read it, but youve proven me wrong. Cheers, hope things get a little less stressful for you.
I had trouble thinking of books I read during hard times. I think it’s probably Tolkien.
Tolkien is an excellent choice.
The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings are possibly the ultimate comfort reads.
I would say the Bible, but then also comfort reads like Jane Austen. Wendell Berry’s poetry is excellent. I would also say Saint Augustine’s Confessions. Also, when I am stressed reading Agatha Christie is fun.
Not only was your video well executed, I've added alot of new books and authors to my personal reading list to help me go through life purposefully. Thanks Jared!
I just finished A Canticle for Leibowitz yesterday and tweeted about it. It's even better the second time around.👍🏻
Took the UCBerkeley Latin Intensive over a summer long ago, and afterwards read The Consolation of Philosophy in Latin. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had; one that acted as a kind of balm.
Yay new video! Just love your videos honestly. And strangely enough, immersing myself in Dostoevsky usually gives me a lot of comfort and peace of mind.
2 books come to mind for me... Bhagavad Gita and Siddhartha.
I started reading philosophy back when you did the podcast on Apology, and now I have bought that same complete works for my birthday to continue my exploration of Plato. I look forward to reading some of the books in this video and seeing the channel grow more!
I need a friend like you. Or to say it in a somewhat improbable (as far as the possibility of it happening) way: I need you as a friend, man.
You deserve a good friend sir. There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Take heart. There is light and beauty up there no shadow can touch.
That video was from the heart man. Keep up the great work! Also your dog in the background gave me a good laugh 😂
Here's the first words of an ad that played immediately after your video. "I'm going to show you how to write a book in an hour with this new Ai tool." I couldn't help but laugh. Weird times.
I read seneca as well when I got laid off. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Seneca was able to put my mind and heart to peace and satisfaction. Highly recommend.
I would love to see your library one day of all these books!
Your voice is soothing and meditative. Thank you for uploading these videos.
love the videos. So simple yet so complete .thank you for the time you spend for making such a content.
I loved "Goodbye Darkness" by William Manchester. I've read it multiple times and I've enjoyed it on Audible, too. William Manchester has passed on, but in life he was a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific theater, fighting the Japanese in places like Iwo Jima and Okinawa. His account is often hair-raising and quite gruesome actually (fair warning), and yet it is also very vivid, sublime and deeply humbling. This is someone who has seen the hell of war, firsthand. His account gave me some perspective, that's for sure. One of my favorite aspects of his story is that even after seeing things and living through things that would leave most of us completely trashed in the brains department, he went on to build a great life for himself after the war; he earned multiple college degrees, got married, had kids and taught at Wesleyan University. He also wrote 18 books. I am amazed at his resilience, and his ability to rebuild after going through so much. I am moved by the power of his example. His writing style is also possessing of a "voice" that I've come to trust. It has a way of pulling you in. His other books are good too, but "Goodbye Darkness" is a book I find myself coming back to over and over again. I can't recommend it enough, but especially to anyone who's going through hard times.
I'm reasonably certain my dad read all his books, he was fascinated/obsessed with the military history WWII in the Pacific. He's gone now, but thanks for giving me a title to hunt for that I could manage. Will I find this one in his collection? Something to hunt for, thanks! (the library has a copy, if not ... )
Dogs & books!! No wonder I relate to your messages. Thank you! ❤
Your endeavour is not merely a UA-cam channel; it's magic. I haven't even watched this video, but your videos are simply just beatific. इन खूबसूरत पलों के लिए धन्यवाद ।
Some books that have helped me (and continue to help me) in similar circumstances:
* A Backward Providence (Steve Hays). A memoir of merit. By turns insightful and edifying.
* The Bruised Reed (Richard Sibbes). Salve to a sad soul.
* Faith and Life (B.B. Warfield). Warfield was a giant among theologians. He combined world class biblical studies, systematics, and "polemics" - no mean feat! Perhaps America's greatest theologian alongside Jonathan Edwards. Certainly Warfield was the preeminent intellectual standout of Old Princeton. My favorite work from his corpus is Faith and Life, a collection of sermons. Among other things, it shows Warfield was not an old stuffy academic, but also a passionately devoted human.
* The Four Quartets (T.S. Eliot). Time and memory. Echoes of eternity. The “still-point of the turning world” in the Word of God made flesh. In a sense Eliot is autobiographical in his writings, for he moved from a bleak nihilism in The Waste Land to a sacramental high church Anglicanism in Four Quartets.
* The Letters of Samuel Rutherford (Rutherford). Rutherford’s life was a life of constant turmoil in a tumultuous period of history. He suffered the death of his wife at an early age as well as the loss of all save one of his children. He was perpetually hounded by established state churchmen; he would have been tried for treason and executed had he not first died. Yet through it all Rutherford was a devoted pastor who dearly loved his flock. Ironically, the bulk of his letters (approximately 220 out of 365 letters) were written while Rutherford was in exile away from his flock. His flock lived in and around the little town of Anwoth in southwest Scotland near the English border. However, Rutherford was forced to move away from Anwoth by the ecclesiastical powers-that-be of the day. They forced Rutherford to live far north in Aberdeen where they thought he’d be silenced. Yet thanks to providences, thanks to God who can bring good out of evil, Rutherford’s exile did the opposite of silencing him inasmuch as his exile gave him occasion to pen his letters. "Though he died, he still speaks" (Heb 11:4).
* The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). In my view, the stand-out quotation is: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” That goes for many truths in life, but perhaps most especially love. That is, love should be deep, not merely skin deep.
* The Once and Future King (T.H. White). A gentle story written by a gentle soul in a harsh world, though tyrant shades lurk between its sheaves.
* Proslogion (Anselm). The ontological argument is a stimulating argument for the existence of God, whether or not it's entirely successful. I think Alvin Plantinga may have the best version of it, though Plantinga later became skeptical of his own argument. In any case, I appreciate Anselm’s fides quaerens intellectum project. His reflections on the relationship between faith and reason are most stimulating. John Frame argues it may be a proto-presuppositionalism.
* The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame). A father (Kenneth Grahame) writes bedtime stories to tell his only child, a sickly son (Alastair Grahame) who would die in his youth. These stories are set along the river Thames, in Edwardian England. Several heartachingly moving stories. A nostalgic voice in a nostalgic time. Beautifully told. Poetic.
Sibbes for the win! This is a good list
Thankyou.
I love THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. It's too slow and old-fashioned for many modern readers, I'm afraid, but I find it so bucolic and lovely. And I love the friendships depicted therein. Also, it's silly and fun and touts the simplicity & comfort of "home."
My go to is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
reading on the shortness of life gave me wisdom 12 years of schooling could not give me
Schooling is not supposed to give you wisdom.
This video was suggested to me and I have now subscribed to the channel. Thanks!
Don't let the fear guide you Jared. We are will hoping you shine!
Your videos bring peace to a young humanities student all the way over to Portugal, and they also serve as a big inspiration and motivation every day. Thank you. All the best wishes to you!
sincere and thoughtful insights. thank you.
If I ever get to voyage through an UA-cam channel of my own that honestly exposes my flawed intention of being "good" and "moral" maybe I'll feel proud of myself. Even through hard times you manage to be an inspiration; for that, congratulations, Jared.
I also love The Peace of Wild Things. Thanks for your recommendations.
I have a good video idea thats relevant to me. What are some good desk books for periodic reading?
like if i had a book on my desk that during a downtime could flip to a page and read it and just be able to think on that. Like quotations of so and so, or a writer with very good prose, or just poetry.
Not Jared obviously but I like the alchemist, daughter drink this water and the Tao de ching
@@Ms.Irod2024 Thank you for the reply, I'll check them out!
@@NotThatLeftEye I hope you enjoy them ! Blessings to you!!
This was awesome. It felt like a peaceful conversation i was having with a friend and I genuinely appreciate the recommendations. Off the top of my head i love revisiting the complete works of Florence Scovel Shinn, and Owning your own shadow by Robert A. Johnson.
Best wishes and happy reading.
The books blindness, and seeing by José Saramago have become staples in my backpack, and this reminds me that I need to get new copies
Right now I am plowing through Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad. Beautiful reading. And some of Sylvia Plath's poetry written about the Yorkshire Moors.
I cannot believe that there are so little comments about THE DOG at the background. I absolutely loved that content is still very Jared, but it is delivered in less polished way. I have a plan to read A canticle next or this year. Also got hooked with the Intellectual life description. Thank you for your amazing work!
I'm a scholar in a field disposed to depression and when I'm down I fall back on Nietzsche. I've simply never encountered a philosophy more aggressively life-affirming and aesthetically beautiful than Nietzsche's project from Birth of Tragedy to Ecce Homo/Contra Wagner. I must have read Daybreak and Gay Science 10+ times each by now. Moving away from the desire to see or create a moral order in the world, in favour of an aesthetic affirmation of life in its totality, has been emotionally liberating.
My recommendations :
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is an inspiring real life story of how we can deeply connect with the natural world around us , more so in times of crises .
Old Path, White Clouds by Thich Nhath Hanh
This book is based on the life of The Buddha . Extensively researched with sparkling prose. One really feels like one has travelled back in time where philosophy was a way of life . Life with all its contradictions and conflicts ; palace intrigues; interpersonal challenges ; sociocultural upheavals and life in all its wholeness and luminosity and peace.
I honestly read A Song of Ice and Fire. It's my favorite series and it always makes me feel good and it absorbs me into it. I love it.
Wendell Berry is almost certainly the wisest American author currently living (knock on wood!).
I go back to Augusten Burroughs when I'm having a hard time. He's gotten me through a lot.
When my life gets out of focus, I turn to two books that I've read many times in my life. The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank. A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Bright blessings to you. I enjoyed your essay.
Erich Fromm's 'The Art Of Loving', Brad Warner's 'Sit Down And Shut Up' are books I've re-read when circumstances made me feel like I needed them again.
Love Brad Warner!
Your dog has amazing ears!
I always find myself going back to Dr Viktor Frankl’s work when faced with feelings of hopelessness, despair or being lost. Particularly Man’s search for meaning.
Yes! "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl is the best!
To Thucidides' Peloponnesian War, which this way and that reminds me that people (me, you) tend to do what we have the power to do and bear what we must, at most.
Having an adorable dog rolling around on your couch in your video about getting through hard times -- that might be better than reading!! Watching that!!
Hey I really liked your video about Stoicism and would enjoy a similar one on Neoplatonism! I study History and it has come up a few times but I haven't fully understood what it is all about yet. I think that would be interesting to understand philosophy in Late Antiquity & the Middle Ages and Christianity better. Thanks in advance!
I recommend "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, as well as Michael Newton's books "Journey of Souls" and "Destiny of Souls".
Speaking of Boethius and books I read to get through hard times...
My go to is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. That book never fails to make me laugh out loud for one reason or another and every time I read it I get something new out of it.
Love this, thank you stranger
Thank you for the great content. It was very informative and well-presented.
"Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" usually works for me, as well as Epictetus and Lucretius. Also, anything by St Augustine of Hippo. Maybe that's just the Roman Catholic in me, but there's something calming about communing with the mind of a man who seems genuinely interested in the common ground between faith and philosophy.
I read books that I read during my childhood 💛 Recently, Notes from Underground was a life-saver ❤🔥
I love your channel. Keep up the great work.
I always read Andy Weirs short story The Egg, when I'm feeling a bit lost in everything. I also go back to Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, to remind myself of my sense of purpose and place in life
i love your videos
thank you so much
During tough times, I find myself reading Eckhart Tolle. Specifically, The Power of Now, A New Earth, and Stillness Speaks.
A New Earth is definitely one of the books I reach for in trying times. 📖
Thank you for such great recommendations!
This is so good. Thank you for the recommendations. I am also going through some difficult career-related struggles at the moment and looking for sustenance.
....meanwhile, your dog already has it all sorted out!
Thank you so much for sharing this video!! I find a lot of inspirations from this video!! I am also a philosopher turned UA-camr. I did have an academic job for nearly twenty years. But the way I got my job was pure luck. It just happened that my university needed someone to teach engineering ethics with an engineering background and I was there at the right time with the right qualifications. However, as much as I enjoyed the teaching and research, the work was very demanding and exhausting leaving little time to get to know my students and help them except the few who sought me out for help! I find more fulfilment in making videos and talk about what I am interested now!! The books I usually read for hard time are Tao Te Ching/ Dao De Jing and Chuang Tzu/Zhuangzi. These are the key texts for Taoism philosophy. I actually made a few videos about Chuang Tzu/Zhuangzi.
you have talked about it on the channel before, but i do think the gay science by nietzsche is such a great hard times read.
nietzsche suffered a lot, and often didn’t live up to the ideals he created. the way he enforces a sense of vitality, of not being a passenger in your own life, of loving fate and using it to power oneself - it really jolts you out of your stupor and gets you on your feet with a real drive.
The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, also Rascal by Sterling North
I like Diogenes quotes because, like your dog in the background, he just gets it and doesn't need to over think it.
😂 your comment made my day
I was excited to see you were going to talk about Boethius ! Thanks
Thanks for the video, Jared. I feel like I’ve got the golden handcuffs on myself. Much of my time and energy is spent working on things that I don’t hate but don’t love either. All so I can make time for the things that feed my soul.
While I definitely empathize with your recent predicament of being laid off (and can attest that it is not fun), part of me wishes for this forced push into freedom.
I picked up “The Intellectual Life” on your recommendation. Looking forward to getting that in the mail. Thank you as always for the insightful video. Books have often seen me through some choppy waters as well.
incredible video. I have watched some of your videos piecemeal, but this made me subscribe. absolutely amazing discussion with so much depth to it, makes me want to respond to you and converse about what everything you mentioned. can't wait to see more from you.
love love these sorts of videos.
In Parfit's _Reasons and Persons_ are a lot of thought experiments about why should we value future happiness over past happiness, or why should we value our own happiness over happiness that other people experience. It's laborious reading, and I don't hold to consequentialism as a theory, but a lot in that book to think about. And amen to Canticle for Liebowitz!
Good luck. Your videos always give me comfort!
Very useful, thanks!
14:11 I am so happy that you mention how much you loved The Dispossessed! I am working through the Hainish Cycle currently and I really liked it more than The Left Hand of Darkness. It doesn’t seem to be a popular opinion right now.
@@booksnphilosophy If nothing else, try reading the short stories, or Five Ways of Forgiveness! They’re beautiful!
Thank you for the video! For me, it's Tolstoy's War and Peace, really brings me peace whenever I pick it up.
What happens if you read it?
Boethius, I return to once a year or so.
That being said, wishing you the best man. Sounds like you're going through a lot and I feel for you as I'm also a philosopher in a corporate world.
Thanks to you, Jared, I read A Canticle for Leibowitz. what a grweat book about resilience. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for the video man! Can’t wait to read your writing.
For me, personally, I read Schopenhauer when I’m down, which sounds like maybe it would make shit worse, but it actually makes me feel better, about my mindset and how I see things, like talking with a close friend.
Good vid!
I totally understand.
Hi Jared. First, I should say that I'm confident that you'll figure out your way through this phase. You're such a thoughtful person, and anyone who has an accurate understanding of reality is bound to succeed in this world eventually.
Regarding the books that inspire me during tough times: I like David Whyte's book "essentials". I also like "The Heart of Awareness: a translation of Ashtavakra Gita" by Thomas Byrom
When times are tough, I read Maggie Nelson. Really, anything and everything she’s written is quite valuable; she’s not only comforting, but she exposes my vulnerability by challenging me and my thought processes. She’s incredible.
Nice one - I read King Alfred’s translation of Boethius at the start of the pandemic/lockdown.
Alfred was trying to promote knowledge amongst his people so he translated what he saw the most important books in the world at that time into English.
Montaigne. Read Montaigne.
I read a fantasy book during hard times!
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is one for me. His struggles earlier on in his career as a chef helped me to see that things can change even if you feel like you're burning up all of your opportunities and hitting rock bottom
Though I liked all the recommendations, the last one was what I needed, even just the title poem. Thank you! And if you havnt done one would love a poetry reccomendations video.