“How To Live”: An Ironic Take On Self-Help Books
Everything you believe in will fully contradict another person’s view on life
I listened to this book some time ago, and it is one of the most unusual books I have ever read.
Not quite self-help, not quite philosophical book, but somehow a bit of both — delivered in a very poetic form:
“How to Live” by Derek Sivers offers 27 answers to the question of how to live, presented as essays inspired by various philosophies and common life advice.
What quickly becomes apparent is that common philosophies and ways of thinking contradict each other a lot.
Just a few examples:
- Stoic approach to life vs. fighting no matter what and not accepting the status quo;
- “Never commit to anything and try new things” vs. “commitment is the only way to be”;
- “Work hard, save, and focus on retirement” vs. “you are only young once, enjoy your life now”.
In short, this book doesn’t tell you how to live. It explores the range of ideas humanity has developed to understand the world — highlighting how those ideas clash with one another.
If anything, my main takeaway from this book is to avoid getting into extremes with any ideology or school of thought. Many of the ideas mentioned in the book — even those that are polar opposite — had good points and can be meaningful in different phases of one’s life. They start bringing contradictions when taken to the extreme, though.
Even if a particular idea or way of thinking resonates with you now, it’s important to stay open and be willing to change your mind, if your thinking process and life circumstances change. And they will and should.
If you read about Derek Sivers in his own words, you’ll find that he is a very unusual person who clearly lives many of the ideas in his book.
Definitely a worthy read!
I don’t post book recommendations without beer reviews. Books and beers, that’s what I do.
Today’s beer is an arctic pale ale by an Icelandic brewery Einstök. We visited their taproom in Reykjavik a few years back, our trip around Iceland was so lovely. This beer is brewed 60 miles south of the Arctic circle, hence the name.
The winter is coming, so today’s beer selection is fittingly seasonal ❄️