What I’ve been reading:
“Toward a Psychology of Being” by Abraham Maslow
One of my most recommended and most referenced books in 2022, Maslow’s "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature," is kind of a sequel to "Toward a Psychology of Being."
So it was time for me to continue my study of Maslow, even though I messed up the order. And it is noticeable that I messed up the order. "Toward a Psychology of Being" lays out the concept of self-actualization, while "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature" expands on it and then explores the stages of human development that lie beyond self-actualization.
For anyone interested in the idea of self-actualization and human potential, I would recommend reading a good summary of "Toward a Psychology of Being" and then diving into "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature."
Also, if you need help getting more out of your reading and even falling in love with it, I wrote a free ebook for you: “The Lost Art of Reading.” You can download it here.
What I’ve listened to:
Ethan Hawke on How Not to Fear Struggle
I watch multiple online lectures and podcast episodes every week. Most of the time, my selections are good, and I learn a lot from them.
This week, a 3-minute video surpasses in its value any lecture or podcast that I could share with you.
Please give it a listen, I know you have 3 minutes to spare.
You can listen to it here.
What I’ve been thinking about:
Being in it for the long haul
Another podcast I recently listened to was Louis C.K.'s appearance on Theo Von’s podcast. In it, Louis C.K. asks Theo how long he has been doing stand-up comedy. Around 18 years, he answers.
"Oh, that’s awesome, man. You are still new at this, but you are really good at it."
Later in the podcast, he reflects once again on the fact that Theo is just getting started and that there is still so much improvement that he’s going to make in the upcoming years, or perhaps decades.
At first, it felt terrifying to hear a master of his craft say that you are still a beginner after 18 years of doing something.
But this lasted a fraction of a second.
Then I felt a wave of encouragement.
If you really care about something, if you are really in it for the long haul, it is highly unlikely that you’ve already come to the point where you could say to yourself, "I should’ve mastered this by now." There is still so much to learn, you are yet to reach your potential.
Isn’t that awesome?
Thank you for reading.
Stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
If you like my work and get some value from it, there is zero-cost support in the form of subscribing, liking this post, commenting if you have any thoughts on it, and of course sharing this with anyone who would find it interesting.
Or you can consider becoming a paid supporter of Existential Espresso for 5$ per month. By doing this you would be helping me to keep investing time into researching and writing all the content on the daily basis.
What you get by becoming a paid supporter is access to the locked essays (such as “Why Having a Price on My Head Didn’t Upset Me”or “Why Living With a Bulletproof Vest is The Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me”), as well as an opportunity to recommend topics for future essays.
However, even taking the time out of your day to read what I have to share with you means more to me than you can imagine. Thank you.