![]() ![]() But strip away the packaging, and we might find that the messages of such works are frequently banal. He believes that there's nothing wrong with our yearning for a neat book-sized solution to the problem of "being human"- it's understandable. Self-help publishers refer to the "18th rule,": which states: 'a person most likely to purchase any given self-help book, is someone who, within the previous 18 months, bought a self-help book- one that didn't obviously solve their problem.' For those of us who find ourselves returning to the self-help aisle, Burkeman empathizes. Self-help books, the apotheosis of the quest for happiness, are among the things that fail to make us feel happy. We may feel good in the moment, when we attend a "Get Motivated" seminar, or when we're faced with a loud somebody telling us that "Nothing is Impossible." But how reliable is this advice?Īccording to the author, at best, such advice lacks evidence, and at worse, it leads to more suffering. Burkeman explains it in one sentence: 'Decide to think happy and successful thoughts, banish the specter of sadness and failure, and happiness and success will follow.' However, the message of relentless optimism proves sub-optimal, when it comes to our quest for happiness. ![]() The gospel of positive thinking isn't exactly complicated. We'll also look at how our anxious attempts to feel secure, avoid failure, and ignore the imminent reality of death, are just a few reasons why happiness often escapes us. We'll briefly explore why positive thinking isn't always the path to happiness. It presents us with an alternative "negative path" to happiness and success, and encourages us to embrace the things we try most to avoid, such as failure, uncertainty, and death. Witty, practical, and wise, The Antidote is a thought-provoking, counter-cultural, and ultimately uplifting read. Burkeman draws upon psychology, ancient stoic philosophy, and Buddhist teachings, to reveal why negative thinking has its positive side. In The Antidote, by author and renowned journalist Oliver Burkeman, typical self-help advice is turned on its head. “If life can only have one destination, then, Burkeman argues, we should enjoy the journey as much as we can and deal with the terminus when it comes.What if our constant effort to be happy is making us miserable? This is a marvellous synthesis of good sense, which would make a bracing detox for the self-help junkie” “He has written some of the most truthful and useful words on to be published in recent years. “Quietly subversive, beautifully written, persuasive and profound, Oliver Burkeman’s book will make you think - and smile”Īuthor Of Alex’s Adventures In Numberland You’ll come away from this book enriched - and, yes, even a little happier” Countering a self-help tradition in which “positive thinking” too often takes the place of actual thinking, Oliver Burkeman returns our attention to several of philosophy’s deeper traditions and does so with a light hand and a wry sense of humor.
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