The Wisdom of Insecurity
A Message for an Age of Anxiety
by Alan Watts · first published 1951
65% recommend29% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, readable Zen-influenced take on living in the present and letting go of the hunt for security; suggested for anxiety, overthinking, work stress and questions about self and consciousness.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
amazing insight. helps westerners step back and look at their actions and how they relate to the world around them. the mere desire to "be secure" is what actually makes you insecure. all about time and pain. most influential book i've ever read, and i've read a lot, high iq, etc. from my point of view, a must read.
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…first time. It was the first book I started reading I could not put down until the end. Gained a lot of appreciation for literature at that time. The other book that I enjoyed and changed me was ‘The Wisdom of Insecurity’ by Alan Watts. I was a fan of Alan Watts works through his lectures already and it was wonderful to hear his ideas in writing for the first time. The book is available to read for free online (https://antilogicalism.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/wisdom-of...).…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗Consciousness, experience, spontaneity, 'the present moment'.. There's a very good book on this called "The Wisdom Of Insecurity" by Alan Watts. It's very short and definitely worth a read if this question interests you.
on “The Folly of Scientism” ↗Alan Watts - The Wisdom of Insecurity An exploration of man's quest for psychological security and spiritual certainty in religion and philosophy.
on “Ask HN: What are the books that changed the perspective of your life?” ↗…but in terms of "falling behind", I am at the extreme of the bell curve, I'm afraid. But maybe that was my overall path, extreme self-knowledge... At least I am an exceptional special snowflake! "The Wisdom of Insecurity" by Alan Watts is recommended reading if this article affected you in some way.
on “To Anyone Who Thinks They're Falling Behind in Life” ↗Not the OP but The Wisdom Of Insecurity by Alan Watts is a total life changer in my experience.
on “A Beginner´s Guide to Getting Things Done” ↗I am reminded of Alan Watts' book, 'The Wisdom of Insecurity,' where I was first exposed to this idea that "thinking too much can be bad for you." I found it lifechanging as it helped me to better manage OCD and anxiety. Recommended reading if you are searching…
on “Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)” ↗…interesting. Sounds like you’re a solid developer, but that your company doesn’t put much effort into making its employees feel secure. This suggestion might be a bit out of left field, but reading The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts has helped me a lot with this problem.
on “Ask HN: How do I get over constant failure?” ↗…has been the most important part. I can recommend the following stuff, in no particular order: - books by Alan Watts, in particular 'The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are' as well as 'The Wisdom of Insecurity' - The Suzuki's: Shunryu Suzuki for practice and 'contemplation', and D.T. Suzuki one for the academic stuff) - Trying Not To Try, somewhat practical, mostly insightful, and just fun to read And there's…
on “LSD: My Life-Saving Drug” ↗The Wisdom Of Insecurity by Alan Watts ^ it's tiny, easily the best book I've ever read.
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗…but it's a lot better then some other things people do in life, and I think people have the right to decide what happens with their life. If I may suggest something, you should go read Alan Watts' "The Wisdom of Insecurity". He was a very influential man who thought that some ideas in Zen Buddhism could be used as very powerful forms of psychotherapy, and on a more personal note I've found that some of the ideas in that…
on “Suicide” ↗The Denial of Death by Becker. (The discussions of homosexuality are outdated but the rest is amazing). The Wisdom of Insecurity by Watts helped center my adolescence.
on “Ask HN: What is the most mind blowing book you've ever read?” ↗I cant help but alarm you that even consciousness itself is a vulnerable state of existence in possible deception. Thats why Alan Watts wrote about the Wisdom of Insecurity. Dream theory exists. Etc. I dont know how well these notions you mention about knowing virtual from pure are founded when even our own standards can be undermined by being deceptive. Cant really put…
on “Hands-on with HoloLens: On the cusp of a revolution” ↗…consciousness can be jarring in that, one realizes the weight of being the "one" behind the sensors, heuristics, and thinking. The ghost in the machine... Really, there are books written about this. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Allen Watts. Life is intrepid and scary because consciousness is a black box. Anxiety is just a symptom of being shown the unusual, being shaken to a core of meaning that defeats the usual humdrum…
on “Brain scans reveal how LSD affects consciousness” ↗I gave Joseph Brodsky's Watermark and Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity to two friends last year. And for Mothers Day last year I gave my wife a book of themed photos and prose, Two, by Melissa Ann Pinney.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗The Book and The Wisdom of Insecurity, both by Alan Watts. Then I could have inoculated myself from the myopic obsession with eco-consciousness promoted by the rest of the books in this thread.
on “Ask HN: Which books do you wish you'd read earlier in life?” ↗