My relationship with books has not always been steadfast.
There have been stretches of time when my reading habits dwindled to almost nothing, and others with consistent literary consumption. My preferences used to primarily revolve around science fiction, horror (Stephen King 🙂), fantasy and math books (Despite never finishing my undergraduate degree, I harbor a love for math and mathematical intuition is essential to my job as CTO).
However, over the past six months, I embarked on a different kind of reading journey aimed at deepening my understanding of the world. This pursuit emerged from grappling with a spiritual crisis, initially triggered by an existential dread over humanity's potential self-destruction through AI development upon ChatGPT’s release. This journey culminated in an ego death following the emotional shock of October 7th—achieved naturally, after being stripped away from my daily life into reserve military duty. I have incorporated daily yoga and meditation practice into my routine, seeking solace and grounding amidst the turmoil. This profound experience, along with these new practices, has unexpectedly shifted my literary inclinations towards psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, fundamentally altering my qualia and outlook on life.
Philosophy books are notoriously challenging. For instance, I recently tackled Jacques Lacan’s first seminar (review forthcoming). If this was my sole reading material, I would find it nearly impossible to continue upon encountering difficult passages, as my current intellectual stamina is not up to the task.
Thus, I read multiple books simultaneously. When I hit a block with Lacan’s seminar, I pivot to a secondary text like "How to Read Lacan " or another book entirely (such as Neurosis and Human Growth The Present Age, or Anti-Oedipus). This approach allows me to engage with a variety of challenging texts, making progress across all of them. The diversity in styles and themes prevents monotony and ensures my reading time is filled with quality material.
I highly recommend this strategy to anyone aiming to tackle tough books and classics. It also enables me to draw parallels between similar concepts described by different authors. For example, Lacan’s concepts of ego-ideal and ideal-ego refine the notion of the superego, which correlates with Karen Horney’s construct of the idealized self.
As someone who seeks general understanding rather than academic expertise in a specific author, this approach is highly effective. While such conceptual cross-pollination might cause confusion for some (as different ides could blend and lose their precise distinctions), it suits my purposes well.
Starting this blog is an extension of my quest for deeper comprehension and personal growth. I find that writing summaries and reviews of the books I read enhances my understanding and retention of their contents. Additionally, I aim to practice and refine my writing skills while sharing my insights and ideas with a broader audience. I often quote parts of books I review, and the contrast between the quality of my writing and that of the authors is stark. This motivates me to improve and aspire to reach their level of eloquence and clarity - thus continue practicing.
Main page of the blog: The KanHaReader Blog