/lit/ - Literature

do pushups until you can't, and then repeat

>>21266085
Tao Te Ching - Old Masters
The Trial and Death Of Socrates, Republic, Phaedrus, Laws - Plato
The Sentiment of Rationality - William James
Ethics - Spinoza
Theodicy, Monadology - Leibniz
Confessions - Augustine
Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of John- Anonymous
Epistle to the Romans - Paul of Tarsus

>>21266085
nicomachean ethics

>>21266113
>>21266189
thank you anons, will read these.
How would you define a good life yourselves?

>>21266226
Acceptance of adversity and a clean conscience.

Unironically the New Testament.
Believing in Jesus is up to you, but his story is beyond beautiful.

>>21266085
People will seethe but 12 rules for life is essential - if you haven't read it. A year afterwards you WILL realise that it's all tripe, but it sets you on the path.

>>21266226
The universe created Humanity and in the process the universe gained the ability to self-reflect through humans (remember that we are not distinct from the universe but are an integral part of it and what we do is what the universe does). Before Humans were created nothing had the capability to explicitly remember or think rationally (reflect) on what is happening. That is why we have a unique form of consciousness compared to everything in the universe, which is captured by the term apperception. You may be conscious of something, but then later forget it entirely and never know that you were conscious of it, or you may never think about the fact that you were conscious of it, and that was basically the state the universe was in about every single thing that happened in every instant until it brought humans into being through its noumenal processes. Humans learned to divide up and categorize the things they see, they were the first time that the universe managed to differentiate itself into multiple things, thus came numbers. We find everywhere that the unique character of humans is this rational capacity for self-reflection on the universe. The highest end of everything is to do what is necessitated by its own Being. everything down to electrons has its own inner imperative that is is absolute for it and comes from its own self-nature. The imperative of humans is still that the of the pre-rational animals, and thus we find that in many ways living a good life requires tending to the animal. The Tao Te Ching is the best text for this, as it teaches you how to let go of rationality and differentiating everything in reality so that you become One with reality again, which is basically cultivating your pure animal state. But it's not complete because you cannot deny the rational side of your character. I believe that this side of humans means that we must cultivate knowledge and understand the things in the universe, that is why we were created. We have to bring the universe to an entirely new level of consciousness through our own activity, as if WE are conscious the universe is conscious. Aristotle, while coming from the Greek profane animal happiness as the telos of humanity, still recognized this aspect as fundamental to humans and thought that philosophy was the only thing we did completely for its own sake, and that humans only came to Love of Pure Knowledge after they had risen above the animal necessities. We are everywhere now above these animal necessities. Even if you are not some philosopher or mathematician or scientist, you are still contributing to the Culture of Humanity that produces self-reflection and ultimate knowledge. I define the Good Life as acting for your inner imperative. This means first caring for the inner animal, and then cultivating the high cultural aspects of humanity that will allow us to help the universe reach a new level of Being, what Leibniz called "perfection": Maximal order with maximal variety.

>>21266252
>words words words
We’re not special. Get over yourself.

>>21266260
>hurr durr humans aren't special
yeah despite being the only thing we have seen in the universe with such a high level of consciousness.

the idea that humans aren't special is actually MORE hubristic than that they are because it comes from the mindset that humans are somehow separate from the universe or different from it, when we were in fact created by the universe and are a part of the universe doing things in the universe for and through the universe. once you realize this it becomes absurd to say that humans aren't special because then you are saying the universe isn't special. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT ISN'T SPECIAL. The universe is the greatest most profound and perfect mystery of all time, it's the most beautiful thing that exists down to every last aspect and every atom and every shrub.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91gT68xeDMM

>>21266085
do pushups until you can't, and then repeat

>>21266267
>with such a high level of consciousness
Consciousness is an error of perception. What exactly are you proud of here?

>because it comes from the mindset that humans are somehow separate from the universe
No, it comes from the mindset, that being a biorobot you are not qualitatively different from the rest of the dead inanimate universe.
You think you are sentient solely because you can register signals milliseconds after they've been perceived, so that all you receive is a simplified cartoon at the cost of the signal fidelity.

>then you are saying the universe isn't special
>greatest
>profound
"special", etc. is a part of your "cartoon" toolkit. You are confusing a TV-slot for a channel with the "Discovery" channel content.

>>21266085
>What are genuinely good books on living a good life?
>12 posts later
>No, it comes from the mindset, that being a biorobot you are not qualitatively different from the rest of the dead inanimate universe.
>You think you are sentient solely because you can register signals milliseconds after they've been perceived, so that all you receive is a simplified cartoon at the cost of the signal fidelity.
It's hard to be a bloomer on /lit/ isn't it

>>21267300
lol go be retarded somewhere else

>>21266113
Unironically the New Testament

>>21266085
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a lifechanging book

The gay science by Nietzsche. Learning how to see the beauty even in the darkest periods of my life was an honest to god life changer

>>21266113
>Gospel of Luke, Gospel of John
>Anonymous
It's literally in the name

>>21268204
But you don’t think Gospel of Thomas was written be Thomas?

>>21268328
No, it's not from the first century, isn't consistent with the rest of scripture, none of the Apostles' disciples attribute it to him, and there's no tradition within Christianity attributing it to him

>>21268345
>it's not from the first century
It literally was. It’s most likely older than all the gospels besides Mark. If Thomas wasn’t written in the 1st century then there’s no way you can argue that the Matthew Luke and especially John were
>none of the Apostles' disciples attribute it to him, and there's no tradition within Christianity attributing it to him
Well then use that argument instead of this “it’s in the name” bullshit.

Anyway I recommended it because it has profound sayings they aren’t in the other gospels and its shorter format makes it better reading for just life-wisdom without having to go through all the Christian dogmatism.

>>21266251
Embarrassing

>>21268427
>It literally was. It’s most likely older than all the gospels besides Mark. If Thomas wasn’t written in the 1st century then there’s no way you can argue that the Matthew Luke and especially John were
It's pretty heavily debated, to be fair. It's just a collection of sayings, so it's extremely difficult to date
>Well then use that argument instead of this “it’s in the name” bullshit.
It was partly a joke
>Anyway I recommended it because it has profound sayings they aren’t in the other gospels and its shorter format makes it better reading for just life-wisdom without having to go through all the Christian dogmatism.
Fair enough. I actually do like the bits of Thomas that I have read, especially Thomas 56:
>Jesus said: He who has known the world has found a corpse; and he who has found a corpse, the world is not worthy of him.
Though I've yet to read it all. So I'd personally be wary of recommending it to anyone, lest it lead them to Gnosticism

>>21266252
>>21266267

came here to say this is absolutely it, the same I've found after years of philosophy and scientific inquiry and it was all rather simple but it's very easy to become lost in a world of people thoroughly muddled by illusions.

The Tao Te Ching is a book of 80 pages of short form poetry. It is the easiest thing to read while being the hardest to grasp. Yet the grasping part is truly easy, you must simply forget the illusions you have learned and just look up.

>>21266085
new testament

>>21268599
I wish you wouldn’t encourage that guy in his hubris. Things exist independently of humanity: we’re not the center of anything. (Inb4 everything is the center of infinity; hopefully you understand my meaning)

>>21268599
also I just remembered.

There is no good life.
Once you create goodness, there is badness
Once you find the beautiful, there exists ugliness
There is simply life.
Recognition of this and other things (such as that we are all part of the universal fabric) is called wisdom.
And those who recognize many of these things are called sages, philosophers, the masters, Le Epic MayMay Master, call it whatever you like.
Recognition or no recognition, it is all the same truly, because all it within the Tao/the universe/universal law/in balance.
So when someone speaks of the Tao and says "all things are beautiful" or "its all perfect" it is a feeling of complete acceptance of the universe as it is and a perfect comfort that you know you belong and you are exactly where you should be.

>>21268642
I never said Humanity was the center of anything, just that we are an integral part of the universe like literally everything else.

>>21268642
Nothing exists independently of anything else. It's all part of a universal equation; to add 1 to one side you must add 1 to another. When you create high pressure you have low pressure. Water flows downward.

Is it true that humans must bring the universe to a new level of consciousness? I have no idea. I can't, or don't see that.

Is it true that humans are the universe aware of itself? It is. And it is also true the universe created humans for this reason. Why? I don't know. Perhaps the epitome of the universe is experience, animal, plant, rock, human, experience. Or perhaps the epitome of the universe is just entropy. Or perhaps experience is it and entropy is just how the universe functions to create experience. You see? Not everything is understood. It's still a work in progress because it is larger than me.

And then you have the process. High pressure and low pressure mix until they are equal. Water flows downward until it have found its bottom.

>>21268668
formatting error.
>And then you have the process. High pressure and low pressure mix until they are equal. Water flows downward until it have found its bottom.
should be below the first sentence.

>>21266085
if you need a book to spoonfeed you about how to live a fullfiling life, then you're ngmi

>>21266252
Your ratio of information conveyed per words used is very poor and you should work on that before you write another post

>>21268120
Definetley, I still remember the "Why are you angry at fools acting like fools?" part every time I'm talking to my father or difficult coworkers

>>21269489
i need to re-read it. lost my copy like five years ago, will just order a new one soon because of this thread

>>21266093

fpbp

One of you will read this, close your browser, follow the advice, and never visit this website again.

You will finally be happy.

"... The difference lies in the amount of energy each viewpoint is willing (i.e. is capable) of expending to get there. Those who are prepared to spend more will reap more pleasure out of life (since this is what pleasure is: energy discharge) — but also, as is only fair, more pain."

Anna Karenina

>>21266085
god-Realization through reason by swami Iswarananda

ECCLESIASTES !!!!!!

>>21266093
Fpbp

>>21266085
a little life

The Myth of Sysiphus

Aka the justification for you not killing yourself

>A pocket mirror for heroes - Balthazar Grecian

>>21266113
Spbp

>>21266085
>leave the site
>never come back

>>21266085
>ctrl+f "start with the greeks"
Disappointed in you, /lit/.

>>21266226
A life where my desires are fulfilled more often than they are not fulfilled

>>21266252
Bugs... easy on the amphetamines.