The Meaning of Anxiety, The Mind of a Master, and Who You Truly Are
Existential Espresso Vol. 6
What I’ve been reading:
“The Meaning of Anxiety” by Rollo May
Another re-reading. You will notice as you keep following Existential Espresso that a lot of my reading actually consists in re-reading the books I’ve found extremely valuable and thought-provoking.
However, I never re-read from cover to cover. I either go straight to the exact part of the book for a specific idea that I want to revisit, or I have no specific intention but I just go trough my notes to see what part(s) of the book would be interesting for me to read again and think about some more.
“The Meaning of Anxiety” is, in my opinion, the best book you can read in two categories:
-For gaining insight into the concept of anxiety from the perspective of existential philosophy and psychology.
-For getting a really good understanding of a major part of Soren Kierkegaard’s work. Kierkegaard was arguably May’s biggest influence. This whole book builds on Kierkegaard’s work. Kierkegaard was the first philosopher to write about anxiety, and if you understand his idea of anxiety you will have significantly less difficulty understanding the rest of his work.
One of my biggest takeaways from the book:
Rollo May emphasizes over and over again how important it is to tell a patient that the fact that they are experiencing anxiety means that there is a step in their life to be taken, and there is a solution to be found. Anxiety is the opposite of hopelessness.
What I’ve watched:
Hayao Miyazaki - The Mind of a Master
Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most creative and imaginative people alive.
He is a genius, there is no other way to put it.
If you ever watched any of the animated movies done by Japanese studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki is the mastermind behind them.
I know a lot of people have prejudices about animated movies being for children only, but it seems like no animated movies have been able to break those prejudices as well as studio Ghibli movies. You could even make an argument that, the older you are, the more you will be able to appreciate the genius of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces.
If you asked me to describe all of them at once and tell you what makes them special, I would say: They are a celebration of the beauty this life can hold, they are a celebration of human imagination, they are a celebration of life itself.
“The Mind of a Master” is documentary-style video created by a youtube channel “Any-Mation.”
It explores the creative process of Miyazaki, what drives him and inspires him, and what makes him a genius that he is.
I believe anyone who considers themselves a creative person and wishes to create something in their life will find this inspiring and valuable.
“I never want to regret not trying something. It’s better to try and fail.”
- Hayao Miyazaki
You can watch the video here.
What I’ve been thinking about:
“You should learn to live with that gap between who you are and what people think of you.” - Louis C.K.
Some people will project their own insecurities, flaws, and internal conflicts onto you. When their own story needs a villain, you might fit that role.
Some people will maybe idolize you. If you have people in your life that look up to you, they might be holding this idea of you in their head that you cannot possibly live up to.
Few people in your life will ever truly know you.
I often find myself struggling with this gap, probably because I am sharing a part of myself and my life through social media with a lot more people than what we humans are used to.
But I think everyone has to deal with this gap to some extent.
Most of your coworkers don’t know who you are.
I would even say that for the vast majority of people, most of their family members don’t know who they are.
I don’t have an idea of how to bridge that gap. I believe Louis C.K. is right, and that we should learn how to live with that gap.
And if there is at least one person who truly knows you, at least one person where that doesn’t exist, be grateful.
Thank you for reading. I hope you found something interesting and valuable in this one.
Stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
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Speaking of anxiety. Can you share what you are recovering from?