22: Seven brief lessons on Physics; 12 rules for life; The true believer
Hi, here are three short reviews of books I’ve read recently:
The true believer
68 years ago, Eric Hoffer put pen to paper and wrote The true believer in an attempt to make sense of what drives mass movements and whether they all work the same whatever the creed they follow. Mass movements arise when the fervor of wanting to change has reached its peak and stagnation prevailed for a long time. But what makes people receptive to the call of this change? The author raises an interesting point about what he thinks is the main reason a person would join a mass movement. It all boils down to frustration with one's self, that unbearable weight of having to take responsibility of one's own existence. It is just hard to shoulder the pain of life suffering and the failures of proving one's worth alone. Hence the resort to a lofty goal that makes the self blends in a compact whole and be part of something big. The individual has now bartered his autonomy for that sense of belonging and unitedness a mass movement provides. Mass movements, in turn, resolves the frustratedness by trading the miserable present for a hope in a glorious future that is worth sacrificing one's self for.The author brings up many past revolutions to illustrate his points. He makes the distinction between men of words,men of actions,amd fanatics. Mass revolutions start with men of words(a creative individual with a noble purpose wanting the good for all) but ends up in the hands of ruthless men of action and finally fanatics that just couldn't stop fueling the interminable chaos. Mass movements arise because people get bored of the dispensation in place and feel its weakening and failure in handling things. They want a dispensation with a firm grip on things. The author argues that it takes a very long time for a dying dispensation to dissolve completely unless a minority of men of words (influenced by the west mostly) weigh in and lays the playground of change for men of actions. The author talks about the active phase of a mass movement, what ends it, and what might perpetuate it for long periods. Mass movements are the fountainhead of change; it could be good change(of the ones led by Gandhi) and vile change(Nazism) serving belligerent agendas. At the end if the day, it is this unsatisfaction and indefiniteness of far fetched goals that make mass movements abundant throughout history.
Overall worth taking a look at the author's observations. He doesn't provide any data or scientific evidence for his arguments. It is just conclusions he derived over his life, but well worth reading.
Seven brief lessons on Physics
In this book Carlo Roveli walks us through the big ideas in theoretical physics, starting with the nature of reality at the atomic level( matter is mere quantas of light or photons when you zoom in enough) to reality at the scale of the universe. Here he talks about general relativity which posits that gravity is non existent as a force but rather, what exists is a gravitational field caused by the curvature of space-time( time is relative,duh) Think of a raging sea as the equivalent of space-time. More or less). Space curves around matter, and far reaching exoplanets are discovered where observed dimmed light is seen, signifying the presence of a planet nearby. The author talks about the so far unfruitful attempts of unifying the two theories into one underlying, all encompassing theory of everything. I was most surprised by the idea of "grains of space" wherein the author introduces us to the theory that space is itself composed of mere grains of tiny particles vibrating incessantly. Black holes were described as matter collapsing under its own weight and heat as being the fundamental property in determining the flow of time; the transfer of heat from hot to cold( cause it is the most probable scenario) is what determines past, present, and future. Speaking of surprising, we know that the universe is expanding cause of an unknown force called dark matter, right? The author goes further: Could the universe we're in right now have been a giant black hole that exploded with a big bang we know that the big bang happened because we can detect n measure traces of the microwave background radiation which emanated from that big explosion_ Can a universe be expanding, collapsing under its own weight and then expanding again, ad infinitum. I don't know about you but it sounds ridicilous to me. Which bring us to the question: was the universe there forever? Is it turtles all the way down? Beats me. Physicists are still figuring out how to ask the right questions... The standard model was discussed as the best theory we have so far to understand reality. Other attractive theories failed the test of time(experiment) and were discarded. In the last chapter, The author reflects on humanity's place in the grand scheme of things; we're made of the stuff of stars, of atoms which themselves are made of electrons orbiting a nucleus which, going further down, are mere quarks. How are we different from a thermostat that can "sense" temperature, how are we conscious. What is so special about how our atoms were arranged? Are we just another species soon to go extinct like all the species of old. Hopefully not.
12 Rules for life
I've heard a lot of conflicting opinions about Dr. Peterson,some praising him, others scathing him, and wanted to know for myself what this Jordan Peterson is all about. One way to know that is to actually read his words. This book has exceeded my expectations. I found myself getting inspired by the stories and the 12 rules that galvanizes one into sorting their life out. I needed to hear these stories and ideas despite sensing that I already knew them. There is something that makes this book stand out among all the self-help books out there. It is not only self help, it has this spiritual element to it. Jordan Peterson, a psychoanalyst whose job was to listen to stories upon stories of people suffering had accumulated some wisdom along the way, that plus the ancient wisdom he integrates in this book makes the writing compelling. The author's creed is that Being is suffering; being comes with limitations; being is a process, a journey not a destination. Throughout this journey, there should be a constant thriving to grow out of these limitations. To seek order incessantly is what the author preaches here. You can not stagnate and slide into chaos, and see being as a curse and let it all out on humanity and fate. To maintain an ordered life and take control of your destiny, the author suggests 12 rules to live by: 1- Stand up straight with shoulders up high: the author explains the dominance hierarchy and how it is been present since times immemorial. He shows how much of an effect serotonin level has on a person's character and comporting, and how your gait determines your place in the hierarchy by regulating these brain chemicals to act in your favor or not. 2- help your self as if you're helping someone in need: the reason why you see yourself as unworthy of help is because you know all your shortcomings and nefarious thoughts whereas if it is someone you love, you're inclined to commiserate with,no questions asked. 3- Be clear in your speech: you have to be precise in what you want and where you want to go or else you will get lost. 4- Do not lie, tell the truth: Telling the truth earlier rather than later can save you a lot of time and make your life easier and more fulfilling 5- don't bother kids who are skateboarding: it is nice to cocoon your kids in a harmless environment, away from all the cruelties of life, but would this build the necessary character to deal with life's challenges when they're out of the cacoon? Kids should be exposed to some harshness or some danger early on. 6- pet a cat: As in notice what is in front of you; pay attention. 7- pursue something meaningful not expedient 8- Make friends with people who want the best for you 9- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday 10-Set your house in order before criticizing others 11- Listen to learn from others, whoever they might be 12- do not let your children do anything that make you dislike them Overall, a worth reading book, especially for people in the world of chaos who wish to bring order into their lives.