Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety
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- Author：Alan W. Watts
- ISBN：1846047013
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Summary
'A revelatory classic' Maria Popova
'A spiritual polymath， the first and possibly greatest' Deepak Chopra
What we have forgotten is that thoughts and words are conventions， and that it is fatal to take conventions too seriously
Too often we fall into the trap of anticipating the future while lamenting the past and in the midst of this negative loop we forget how to live in the now。 In this iconic and prescient text， pioneering Zen scholar Alan Watts shows us how， in an age of unprecedented anxiety， we must embrace the present in order to live a fulfilling life。
'A spiritual polymath， the first and possibly greatest' Deepak Chopra
What we have forgotten is that thoughts and words are conventions， and that it is fatal to take conventions too seriously
Too often we fall into the trap of anticipating the future while lamenting the past and in the midst of this negative loop we forget how to live in the now。 In this iconic and prescient text， pioneering Zen scholar Alan Watts shows us how， in an age of unprecedented anxiety， we must embrace the present in order to live a fulfilling life。
Reviews
Wanda
，
Did not finish。 Felt unorganized。
Max Overweter
，
Extremely enjoyable I chose 5 stars because it has been my most enjoyable read in a while。 Watts uses very interesting anecdotes to illustrate his simple yet profound ideas。 At no point do I feel watts makes claims out of the blue， every argument is well supported and presented。 Funny enough I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with anxiety or an addiction to “pleasure”。
Tiffany
，
** 100 years of books challenge， published in 1951 **3 1/2 stars。 I'm really glad I finally read this， and I marvel at how prescient Watts was， accurately predicting some of the ways the pace and technology of the modern world would disconnect us and create a nagging feeling of insecurity。 That said， there wasn't a lot of practical information in this book and the author sometimes got lost in his metaphors and description。 Still， I'm left with some thoughts to ponder which relate to my recent in ** 100 years of books challenge， published in 1951 **3 1/2 stars。 I'm really glad I finally read this， and I marvel at how prescient Watts was， accurately predicting some of the ways the pace and technology of the modern world would disconnect us and create a nagging feeling of insecurity。 That said， there wasn't a lot of practical information in this book and the author sometimes got lost in his metaphors and description。 Still， I'm left with some thoughts to ponder which relate to my recent insight that ambiguity in religion and outcomes is not something to run away from， but instead to embrace as a higher level of trust。 。。。more
Miroslav Nikolov
，
"В такова чувстване， виждане и мислене， животът не се нуждае от бъдеще за да е цялостен， нито от обяснение， за да е оправдан。 В този миг той е съвършен。" "В такова чувстване， виждане и мислене， животът не се нуждае от бъдеще за да е цялостен， нито от обяснение， за да е оправдан。 В този миг той е съвършен。" 。。。more
Amy Murphy-Bussey
，
Wow！ I was hoping to really love this， especially since it is highly regarded…but unless there’s a prequel where he goes in to his actual evidence of his philosophy…。 He basically thinks all humans think and act like he does。 In my mind he’s just a dude who likes to hear himself think and thinks he’s smarter than anyone else。 I sincerely tried to get into it and keep an open mind…but there was just so much rambling。 Couldn’t help rolling my eyes throughout。
Monique Van hest
，
‘Het grootse gedeelte van alle menselijke activiteit is erop gericht ervaringen en genietingen die alleen aantrekkelijk zijn omdat ze veranderen， in te metselen in blijvendheden。 Muziek is verrukkelijk door haar ritme en beweging。 Maar op het moment dat je de beweging stopt en een noot of een akkoord langer aanhoudt dan de tijd toelaat， wordt het ritme vernietigd。 Omdat het leven evenzo een bewegingsproces is， zijn verandering en dood er onmisbare onderdelen van。 Voor hun uitsluiting werken is w ‘Het grootse gedeelte van alle menselijke activiteit is erop gericht ervaringen en genietingen die alleen aantrekkelijk zijn omdat ze veranderen， in te metselen in blijvendheden。 Muziek is verrukkelijk door haar ritme en beweging。 Maar op het moment dat je de beweging stopt en een noot of een akkoord langer aanhoudt dan de tijd toelaat， wordt het ritme vernietigd。 Omdat het leven evenzo een bewegingsproces is， zijn verandering en dood er onmisbare onderdelen van。 Voor hun uitsluiting werken is werken tegen het leven。’‘Morgen en plannen voor morgen kunnen alleen maar betekenis hebben， als je volledig in contact bent met de werkelijkheid van het heden， omdat je in het heden en uitsluitend in het heden leeft。 （…） Maar het is juist deze werkelijkheid van het heden， dit bewegende， vitale nu， dat aan alle definities en beschrijvingen ontglipt。 Hier ligt de geheimzinnige werkelijke wereld die nooit in de dwangbuis van woorden en ideeën passen zal。 Wanneer we altijd voor de toekomst leven zijn we niet meer in aanraking met deze bron en dit middelpunt van het bestaan en daardoor breekt de hele betovering van het benoemen en denken tijdelijk af。’ （P。 64）Het lezen van dit boek doet me afvragen waarom ik me laat verleiden om doelen te stellen in plaats van het leven en kansen op me af te laten komen en er op mee te deinen zoals ik altijd al gedaan heb。 Dat ik mijn woordverlies soms zou moeten omarmen en gewoon de ervaring ervaren… ‘wanneer het denken door uitputting tot stilstand is gekomen， staat de geest open om het probleem te zien zoals het is - niet zoals het verwoord is - en op hetzelfde ogenblik is het doorzien。’Bijna 60 jaar na dato nog steeds actueel。 Wat ook het hele uitgangspunt van dit boek is。 。。。more
Megan
，
“But you cannot understand life and its mysteries as long as you try to grasp it。 Indeed， you cannot grasp it， just as you cannot walk off with a river in a bucket。 If you try to capture running water in a bucket， it is clear that you do not understand it and that you will always be disappointed， for in the bucket the water does not run。 To “have” running water you must let go of it and let it run。”
İpek
，
“Suyun yüzeyinde kalmaya çalıştığınızda batarsınız， batmaya çalıştığınızda ise yüzeyde kalırsınız。 Nefesinizi tutmaya çalıştığınızda， nefesinizi kaçırırsınız。 Bu durum çok eski ve göz ardı edilmiş bir deyişi akla getiriyor。 ‘Ruhunu kurtarmaya çalışan kişi onu kaybeder’”
Deborah
，
I don't think Alan Watts is the philosopher I'm looking for。 I'm trying to figure him out as he comes off as either full of bs or brilliant， and I think the truth is somewhere in between。 I've been taking his videos with a grain of salt。 I know he wasn't a perfect person， and that's no longer a criteria for me for someone to learn from。 So I gave this book a try when it popped up in the Free Little Library。There's are some good gems in here， but he rambles so much it's hard to follow。 The n book I don't think Alan Watts is the philosopher I'm looking for。 I'm trying to figure him out as he comes off as either full of bs or brilliant， and I think the truth is somewhere in between。 I've been taking his videos with a grain of salt。 I know he wasn't a perfect person， and that's no longer a criteria for me for someone to learn from。 So I gave this book a try when it popped up in the Free Little Library。There's are some good gems in here， but he rambles so much it's hard to follow。 The n book easily could have been 40 pages shorter。 While the premise is interesting （there is only now， there's no separation from you and the world/your feelings and sensations）， there's no real practical application， which leaves me with a lot of questions。 Most of it just feel like his opinion that's based on his personal unfounded assumptions。 。。。more
Jeremiah Cunningham
，
In this fascinating book， Alan Watts explores man's quest for psychological security， examining our efforts to find spiritual and intellectual certainty in the realms of religion and philosophy。 The Wisdom of Insecurity underlines the importance of our search for stability in an age where human life seems particularly vulnerable and uncertain。 Watts argues our insecurity is the consequence of trying to be secure and that， ironically， salvation and sanity lie in the recognition that we have no wa In this fascinating book， Alan Watts explores man's quest for psychological security， examining our efforts to find spiritual and intellectual certainty in the realms of religion and philosophy。 The Wisdom of Insecurity underlines the importance of our search for stability in an age where human life seems particularly vulnerable and uncertain。 Watts argues our insecurity is the consequence of trying to be secure and that， ironically， salvation and sanity lie in the recognition that we have no way of saving ourselves。 In the seventy years since this book was written and originally published， much in the world has changed。 The circumstances we deal with from day-to-day， the technology that often pollutes our world， and our level of knowledge of events globally has altered our world view。 But amazingly， a work like this is just as relevant today as it was seventy years ago， and possibly even more relevant。This was not a five star or even four star read for me， because it is very esoteric。 Watts not only tackles a difficult subject but he does so by cramming more ideas into one page than the mind can comprehend。 I appreciate the value of the thought， but as a work for readers to digest it lacks in approachability。The post powerful thought for me coming out of this book is to avoid the habit of trying to step outside of oneself to judge the morality or benefit of our actions。 Watts encourages the reader to understand that you cannot separate yourself in this fashion。 In the present， you yourself， your environment， and those around you。 As such， morality is based on how you treat your entire present world。 。。。more
Zach
，
This is an absolutely incredible book that allows readers many ways to let go of the life they think is ahead for the life that is， right now。Watts' exploration of "I" & "Me" and the divided mind is exquisite， and his journey through the undivided mind is sublime。 Also， his distinction between belief and faith is so on point that it leaves these positivistic， fundamentatlist， myth-for-history-mistaking， sorrowful souls in the wasteland with at least a vibrant lantern suggesting a way out （and a This is an absolutely incredible book that allows readers many ways to let go of the life they think is ahead for the life that is， right now。Watts' exploration of "I" & "Me" and the divided mind is exquisite， and his journey through the undivided mind is sublime。 Also， his distinction between belief and faith is so on point that it leaves these positivistic， fundamentatlist， myth-for-history-mistaking， sorrowful souls in the wasteland with at least a vibrant lantern suggesting a way out （and a way in）。A few favorites:There is no problem of how to love。 We love。 We are love， and the only problem is the direction of love， whether it is to go straight out like sunlight， or to try to turn back on itself like a "candle under a bushel。"Nothing is really more inhuman than human relations based on morals。 When a man gives bread in order to be charitable， lives with a woman to be faithful， eats with a Negro in order to be peaceful， he is as cold as a clam。 He does not actually see the person。 Only a little less chilly is the benevolence springing from pity， which acts to remove suffering because it finds the sight of it disgusting。 To try to control fear or depression or boredom by calling them names is to resort to superstition of trust in curses and invocations。 。。。more
Gabriela Kozhuharova
，
Удивително е， че тази книга е публикувана през 1951 г。 Епохата на тревожността явно никога не си е отивала， щом в наши дни думите на Уотс звучат също толкова актуално， ако не и повече。
Olivia Bourgeois
，
I felt like "okay。。。 I understand the problem; now give me a solution"。 I was left depressed for days wondering what the point of all this was。。。。 However， it was interesting enough for me to read it all in one sitting， in a few hours。。。 I felt like "okay。。。 I understand the problem; now give me a solution"。 I was left depressed for days wondering what the point of all this was。。。。 However， it was interesting enough for me to read it all in one sitting， in a few hours。。。 。。。more
Marc
，
“What we have to discover is that there is no safety， that seeking is painful， and that when we imagine that we have found it， we don’t like it。” The infamy of Watts proceeds this work and indeed sells it more than the actual text。 There must be an understanding of the zeitgeist that birthed this work， how the Western culture， and its societal consciousness， was transitioning and understanding itself in the post-war era。 The first tendrils of anxiety and moral dilemma， that the modern reader is “What we have to discover is that there is no safety， that seeking is painful， and that when we imagine that we have found it， we don’t like it。” The infamy of Watts proceeds this work and indeed sells it more than the actual text。 There must be an understanding of the zeitgeist that birthed this work， how the Western culture， and its societal consciousness， was transitioning and understanding itself in the post-war era。 The first tendrils of anxiety and moral dilemma， that the modern reader is so often familiar， first began its descent， here under Watts' gaze。 For his credit， Watts can dissect and appreciate what is happening， though as to the way to treat it and heal from it， the meat of his pedagogy， is lacking。 There is analysis， dissection， and description。 No more， no less。 We imagine Watts has found a cure， an answer to lead us out of the dark， that he is as lost as us， but more assured in the salvation。 。。。more
Cade
，
DNF @ 20%Alan Watts argues with a pretty bleak outlook on life， one that I personally don't agree with。 And so it wouldn't be fair if I rated this based on how I feel about his reasoning and beliefs。 DNF @ 20%Alan Watts argues with a pretty bleak outlook on life， one that I personally don't agree with。 And so it wouldn't be fair if I rated this based on how I feel about his reasoning and beliefs。 。。。more
Aaron Patel
，
An incredible accessible yet deeply profound and thought provoking read。 This is a great way to connect to one of the most celebrated authors and philosophers of the modern era。 The main takeaways from this read were:Often， people divide themselves。 They consider themselves a separate ‘I’ away from their bodies。 This is nonsense。 There is no ‘I’ in the same way the trees around us have a sense of self。 We are all the same - separate moving parts yes， but separate no。 This mental division is what An incredible accessible yet deeply profound and thought provoking read。 This is a great way to connect to one of the most celebrated authors and philosophers of the modern era。 The main takeaways from this read were:Often， people divide themselves。 They consider themselves a separate ‘I’ away from their bodies。 This is nonsense。 There is no ‘I’ in the same way the trees around us have a sense of self。 We are all the same - separate moving parts yes， but separate no。 This mental division is what breed the anxiety we often feel。 ‘I’ am feeling this or ‘I’ am seeing it this - thoughts we often have。 But these are contradictory because we conscious as our thoughts are in our head， that does not mean our feet are no less a part of us than what’s in our head。 If our stomach is hungry we should listen to it， but in this modern age， we have learnt to be hungry with our mind （eyes are bigger than our stomach） and therefore we eat what our body doesn’t need or desire。 This abuse and these contradictions subsequently lead to worry and anxiety and sense of helplessness because of course we cannot resolve contradictions。 We should be more malleable in the face of hardship and challenge。 Like the stream that flows around the obstacles in its path， those who embrace suffering in the same way we do with pleasure， those who refuse to struggle against the tide of life， and not act as if they are a fixed point in space and time， will find their experience on this planet infinitely more profound and simpler。 Those who do not struggle against pain and anxiety cannot possibly suffer from it - for to run away from pain is to feel it’s shadow always， and to take it in your stride with no struggle is to not feel it at all。 It seems perfectly simple。 Yet this learning has transformed my idea of life。 Life is only the present experience。 There is no past and future， only memory and expectations。 And we should choose not to live in our memories， or focus on our expectations for future invests， but live in and for the present moment。 Those who always have their minds fixed forward will always be looking forward， and therefore never enjoy fully the moment they live in， and always dread the inevitable death that will stop them from their pointless nature of expecting。 God， religion， mysticism and science have always made attempts to make sense of the same thing， just in different ways and different perspectives。 Ultimately all lead to the same thing - the undefinable， boundless， and absolute reality that is only this present moment。 The more we know， the more we become aware of the things in which we do not know。 The God and heaven religions point to isn’t some man on a golden throne， but the same absolute moment that science has only ever been able to examine - the present moment。 Indeed， it is a provocative thought to think that the past which we think we can measure， or remember， or observe is just in fact traces in which we find - and ONLY find - in the present moment。 Fundamentally， this book is able living now。 Which often gets said a lot in this day age， but more and more as we become creatures of expectation and planning and never fully satisfied with our current state， and more isolated from ourselves， it never gets fully understood。 。。。more
Keno Castro
，
A good summary of the western zeitgeist and redemption of the soul
Derek
，
The main message in this book appears to be "live in the now" not the past or future。 A lot of the ideas seem to have a Buddhist feel to it but applied like medicine to the mental traps of western civilizations， which is interesting to read。Also， appears it may have been the inspiration， even if partial， for Ekhart Tolle's "Power of Now" book。 The main message in this book appears to be "live in the now" not the past or future。 A lot of the ideas seem to have a Buddhist feel to it but applied like medicine to the mental traps of western civilizations， which is interesting to read。Also， appears it may have been the inspiration， even if partial， for Ekhart Tolle's "Power of Now" book。 。。。more
Du Nguyen
，
I don't understand this book at all。 I'm not quite sure what Watts was trying to tell me and I couldn't really follow any of the arguments。 It felt like the ramblings of someone who has dabbled in a lot of different philosophies and religions and is trying to put it all together in one package but honestly I cannot really tell what it was about。 Something about being present and all。Some interpretations is about how it's a description of some of Zen Buddhism， but I don't know enough about Zen Bu I don't understand this book at all。 I'm not quite sure what Watts was trying to tell me and I couldn't really follow any of the arguments。 It felt like the ramblings of someone who has dabbled in a lot of different philosophies and religions and is trying to put it all together in one package but honestly I cannot really tell what it was about。 Something about being present and all。Some interpretations is about how it's a description of some of Zen Buddhism， but I don't know enough about Zen Buddhism to say whether that's accurate。 This kind of literature is just not for me， I think I prefer a more structured format where it's more clear what the author is trying to tell me rather than this free form style of writing。 。。。more
Fiona
，
i didnt finish。 i read a beautiful intro and a great preface - i really enjoyed the writing style but i thought this would focus on moreso outward appearance insecurities， it was moreso like poverty and war insecurities。 not what i need rn。
Lauren
，
This is not a review of the book， but my state of mind。 Not in the mood for reading philosophy， if that’s what you call this。 Give me a piece of fabric or a poem， that’s the reality I want to think about。
Lou
，
Narcan
jen
，
if i were smarter， i’m sure this would have made a bigger impact but alas i am too simple for this kind of roundabout writing。
Sweta Gorania
，
Book tells us things we mostly have read or listened previously。 Like stay in present， too much stimulation leads to desensitization， follow gut feeling etc。 Mostly revision of wisdom。 Okay read。
Amanda
，
I enjoyed his overall message。 I didn’t find it particularly life changing， but it’s impressive that this was written in the 50’s and still relevant。 Some parts were too idealistic and rambly for my taste - but that’s just personal preference。 Some chapters I found myself excitedly annotating everything Watts shared， other chapters I honestly just skimmed through。 I don’t usually read books about philosophy， but if you do， you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did。
Pau Hernández
，
Alan Watts was on a different level， brilliant。The main idea is that we fail to live because we are always preparing to live。 We， unlike other animals， have a strong memory which allows us to make predictions of the future based on what has already happened in the past， but it has no use to us unless we are capable of living in the present moment now。 However， the problem is not that simple。 We have a divided mind - split between the "Me" and "I"。 We differentiate between what we do and what hap Alan Watts was on a different level， brilliant。The main idea is that we fail to live because we are always preparing to live。 We， unlike other animals， have a strong memory which allows us to make predictions of the future based on what has already happened in the past， but it has no use to us unless we are capable of living in the present moment now。 However， the problem is not that simple。 We have a divided mind - split between the "Me" and "I"。 We differentiate between what we do and what happens to us。 But the dividing line between these two is very arbitrary， and so we come to have a very arbitrary definition of self and we are constantly anxious because we embrace our separateness without realizing that there is only one reality。 There are no separate events。 If you are capable of getting rid of the "I"， you will realize that the circulation of your blood is one continuous process with the stars shining， because your physical organism is one continuous process with everything else going on。 You are not an external experiencer。This book draws on Watts' understandings on both Eastern philosophy and Western religion， such as Christianity and Zen Buddhism， and how they approach to the understanding of human life。 Watts talks about anxiety， our problem with happiness， how words are not reality， how time is a complete abstraction and why there is no self to love or understand: because self is an illusion。The knowledge it contains is quite dense， yet the language is clear and easy。 。。。more
alyx reads sometimes
，
i am the age of anxiety so this book has reached its target audience ✅
J。C。
，
I read this book right when I needed it。 A good quick reminder of the importance of the present moment， and how easily we fall for abstractions and let them take hold of us。 A lot has changed in my life in a very quick amount of time， and this book has helped me cut through a lot of the elements pulling me down， especially when it comes to letting go of the past。
Jy Guerrero
，
Re-read this as a reminder of the start of my journey with eastern philosophy from a western perspective。 Alan Watts being one of the proponents of this movement sheds light on the ourbouros of our times。 Even if this is written decades ago， it is just as relevant today。
Sarah
，