Review by silvija_pro -- Rediscovering the Wisdom of Hum...
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silvija_pro
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- Latest Review: Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe
Review by silvija_pro -- Rediscovering the Wisdom of Hum...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature" by Chet Shupe.]
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe is a self-help book. This book is guided by the idea that modern, individuality focused way of living is unsustainable and harmful, and that humans have innate wisdom and natural aptitude for selflessness and togetherness. The author describes all the disadvantages and shortcomings of living under the rule of law and institutions and proposes an idea for an alternative way of living, thanks to which humanity would stop relying on institutions and obsessing over the distant future.
This book is full of heartwarming stories and insightful ideas and is written in a straightforward but intelligent way. It would most likely appeal to anyone that enjoys the self-help genre or is currently discovering or rediscovering spirituality. The author’s style is concise and easy to understand but somewhat repetitive at times. The book is also professionally edited and has only a handful of minor errors.
First, I will elaborate on parts of this book I enjoyed and found insightful. A large portion of this book is guided by the general idea that individuality and selfishness too often come before the progress of society. That idea is often proven to be correct and we have unfortunately had opportunities to see many such examples during the course of history (with the most recent example being people’s beliefs about whether their personal liberties are more important than protecting themselves and others from COVID-19). Shupe argues that in Western society personal greed, ambition, and desire to accumulate as much wealth as possible warped humanity’s innate desire to be of help and service to others and thus keep our species alive. The author’s assessment of the pointlessness of the goal-getter mindset, as humans are never happy when solely measuring their worth in accomplished goals, is perfectly described in the following quote: "In fact, the worst thing that can happen to anyone who finds meaning in achieving a goal, is to achieve it: After the excitement dies down, the meaning evaporates. In modern life, we are like Sisyphus, perpetually seeking meaning through yet another futile task."
Another thing I enjoyed is the author’s message of how despite our differences, people have more in common than not. The author explains how for him it’s unnatural for people to hate each other based on their opinions on intangible things such as ideologies and political beliefs, which is something we often witness during political campaigns when politicians on both sides often use such issues to create an atmosphere of hate, distrust, and disagreement between their voters.
It is also worth mentioning the insightful and interesting part of the book in which Shupe skillfully explains how, unknowingly, the subconscious mind exercises great control over our choices and how most of our decisions are more or less influenced by our emotions and preferences.
However, there are some flaws in this book. The key flaw is quite possibly the fact that the general idea is a bit too romantic to be taken seriously, as is often proved by the author’s own inability to explain or give examples of how society could simply abandon the current system and live in the often mentioned “sisterhood-brotherhood” type of extended family, in which most civilizations haven’t lived for thousands of years. I also didn’t like that the author often claims that crimes such as “divorce, domestic violence and civil disobedience” are simply “the revolt of our spirits against the system” and that by abandoning governmental systems and living in a law-abiding society most crimes would cease to exist. The author often simplifies problems of human nature and is guided by a simplistic, if not a bit naive idea that all humans are at their core peaceful and would instinctively live in a way that serves the betterment of our species. It’s also worth mentioning that Shupe often mentions his personal disdain towards the institution of marriage and insists the institution of marriage is nothing but oppression, especially for women, which is a statement I don’t fully support and might even be described as absurd. Shupe has clearly based most of his rather unconventional opinions on his personal experience so naturally there are some statements most readers will disagree with.
To sum up, the book’s general idea is noteworthy and it’s worth reading this book, which is why Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature deserves 3 out of 4 stars. There are some fascinating parts but also parts that might be considered naive or nonsensical. However, I warmly recommend this book to fans of self-help or spiritual genre, as well as those interested in bettering their mental health and broadening their minds.
******
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe is a self-help book. This book is guided by the idea that modern, individuality focused way of living is unsustainable and harmful, and that humans have innate wisdom and natural aptitude for selflessness and togetherness. The author describes all the disadvantages and shortcomings of living under the rule of law and institutions and proposes an idea for an alternative way of living, thanks to which humanity would stop relying on institutions and obsessing over the distant future.
This book is full of heartwarming stories and insightful ideas and is written in a straightforward but intelligent way. It would most likely appeal to anyone that enjoys the self-help genre or is currently discovering or rediscovering spirituality. The author’s style is concise and easy to understand but somewhat repetitive at times. The book is also professionally edited and has only a handful of minor errors.
First, I will elaborate on parts of this book I enjoyed and found insightful. A large portion of this book is guided by the general idea that individuality and selfishness too often come before the progress of society. That idea is often proven to be correct and we have unfortunately had opportunities to see many such examples during the course of history (with the most recent example being people’s beliefs about whether their personal liberties are more important than protecting themselves and others from COVID-19). Shupe argues that in Western society personal greed, ambition, and desire to accumulate as much wealth as possible warped humanity’s innate desire to be of help and service to others and thus keep our species alive. The author’s assessment of the pointlessness of the goal-getter mindset, as humans are never happy when solely measuring their worth in accomplished goals, is perfectly described in the following quote: "In fact, the worst thing that can happen to anyone who finds meaning in achieving a goal, is to achieve it: After the excitement dies down, the meaning evaporates. In modern life, we are like Sisyphus, perpetually seeking meaning through yet another futile task."
Another thing I enjoyed is the author’s message of how despite our differences, people have more in common than not. The author explains how for him it’s unnatural for people to hate each other based on their opinions on intangible things such as ideologies and political beliefs, which is something we often witness during political campaigns when politicians on both sides often use such issues to create an atmosphere of hate, distrust, and disagreement between their voters.
It is also worth mentioning the insightful and interesting part of the book in which Shupe skillfully explains how, unknowingly, the subconscious mind exercises great control over our choices and how most of our decisions are more or less influenced by our emotions and preferences.
However, there are some flaws in this book. The key flaw is quite possibly the fact that the general idea is a bit too romantic to be taken seriously, as is often proved by the author’s own inability to explain or give examples of how society could simply abandon the current system and live in the often mentioned “sisterhood-brotherhood” type of extended family, in which most civilizations haven’t lived for thousands of years. I also didn’t like that the author often claims that crimes such as “divorce, domestic violence and civil disobedience” are simply “the revolt of our spirits against the system” and that by abandoning governmental systems and living in a law-abiding society most crimes would cease to exist. The author often simplifies problems of human nature and is guided by a simplistic, if not a bit naive idea that all humans are at their core peaceful and would instinctively live in a way that serves the betterment of our species. It’s also worth mentioning that Shupe often mentions his personal disdain towards the institution of marriage and insists the institution of marriage is nothing but oppression, especially for women, which is a statement I don’t fully support and might even be described as absurd. Shupe has clearly based most of his rather unconventional opinions on his personal experience so naturally there are some statements most readers will disagree with.
To sum up, the book’s general idea is noteworthy and it’s worth reading this book, which is why Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature deserves 3 out of 4 stars. There are some fascinating parts but also parts that might be considered naive or nonsensical. However, I warmly recommend this book to fans of self-help or spiritual genre, as well as those interested in bettering their mental health and broadening their minds.
******
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe
