The Wisdom of Insecurity : A Message for an Age of Anxiety

Alan Watts is "the perfect guide for a course correction in life, away from materialism and its empty promise" (Deepak Chopra). Here he shows us how—in an age of unprecedented anxiety—we must embrace the present and live fully in the now in order to live a fulfilling life. Spending all our time trying to anticipate and plan for the future and to lamenting the past, we forget to embrace the here and now. We are so concerned with tomorrow that we forget to enjoy today. Drawing from Eastern philosophy and religion, Alan Watts shows that it is only by acknowledging what we do not—and cannot—know that we can learn anything truly worth knowing. “Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” —Los Angeles Times Acclaimed philosopher Alan Watts shows us how—in an age of unprecedented anxiety—we can find fulfillment by embracing the present and living more fully in the now. He is "the perfect guide for a course correction in life" (from the Introduction by Deepak Chopra). The brain can only assume its proper behavior when consciousness is doing what it is designed for: not writhing and whirling to get out of present experience, but being effortlessly aware of it. Alan Watts draws on the wisdom of Eastern philosophy and religion in this timeless and classic guide to living a more fulfilling life. His central insight is more relevant now than ever: when we spend all of our time worrying about the future and lamenting the past, we are unable to enjoy the present moment—the only one we are actually able to inhabit. Watts offers the liberating message that true certitude and security come only from understanding that impermanence and insecurity are the essence of our existence. He highlights the futility of endlessly chasing moving goalposts, whether they consist of financial success, stability, or escape from pain, and shows that it is only by acknowledging what we do not know that we can learn anything truly worth knowing. In The Wisdom of Insecurity, Watts explains complex concepts in beautifully simple terms, making this the kind of book you can return to again and again for comfort and insight in challenging times. “Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” —Los Angeles Times An acclaimed philosopher shows us how—in an age of unprecedented anxiety—we can find fulfillment by embracing the present and living more fully in the now. He is "the perfect guide for a course correction in life" (from the Introduction by Deepak Chopra). The brain can only assume its proper behavior when consciousness is doing what it is designed for: not writhing and whirling to get out of present experience, but being effortlessly aware of it. Alan Watts draws on the wisdom of Eastern philosophy and religion in this timeless and classic guide to living a more fulfilling life. His central insight is more relevant now than ever: when we spend all of our time worrying about the future and lamenting the past, we are unable to enjoy the present moment—the only one we are actually able to inhabit. Watts offers the liberating message that true certitude and security come only from understanding that impermanence and insecurity are the essence of our existence. He highlights the futility of endlessly chasing moving goalposts, whether they consist of financial success, stability, or escape from pain, and shows that it is only by acknowledging what we do not know that we can learn anything truly worth knowing. In The Wisdom of Insecurity, Watts explains complex concepts in beautifully simple terms, making this the kind of book you can return to again and again for comfort and insight in challenging times. “Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” — Los Angeles Times '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. amazing insight. helps westerners step back and look at their actions and how they relate to the world around them. the mere desire to "be secure" is what actually makes you insecure. all about time and pain. most influential book i've ever read, and i've read a lot, high iq, etc. from my point of view, a must read. A classic look at man's search for certainty from the acclaimed expert on Eastern philosophyIn 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. An exploration of man's quest for psychological security and spiritual certainty in religion and philosophy. From the Trade Paperback edition. BY ALL OUTWARD APPEARANCES OUR LIFE IS A SPARK of light between one eternal darkness and another.