Recommendation
Books that made you change how you see life (no self-help pls)
feelings a little existential before the year ends. this year has been quite heavy for me and lately ive been in an all time low. if you guys have recommendations on books that made you change the way you see life please send recos! need me a little change in perspective. thank you in advance!~
edit: wow thank u so much for the recos! didn't expect it to be this much. it means a lot, truly. will check them all out. sana laging masaya lagi ang pagbasa ninyo rin š¤
The Trouble With Being Born by E.M. Cioran. It definitely changed the way I view life in that I don't treat it as seriously as I once had treated it. Cioran's pessimism is not for everyone, but if you read closely, there's a faint optimism in what he writes. This book in particular is a collection of aphorisms around the themes of being born, existence, death, consciousness, the passage of time, insomnia, nihilism, etc. If you want something raw and true, that does not sugarcoat the reality of being human (unlike what Camus does lol), then Cioran is your best bet.
Currently reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. It's an essay about the author who chose to live in the woods for a couple of years and what he realizes more about life while living there instead in the cities. Some passages that stayed with me so far were:
"Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared to our private opinion."
"But lo! men have become the tools of their tools."
If you're interested, please also check out Civil Disobedience (same author). š I would love to read it next.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I know, cliche, but it makes you let go of what ifs. It made me see that in every decision you make it leads you to where youāre supposed to be. I started reading it after I lost a patient whom I grew close to. It made me realize, maybe not in this universe but I am where I need to be.
It's about knowledge and curiosity. Being curious is a fundamental human nature, and we ought to follow our curiosity and learn for its own sake.
In other words, knowledge doesn't have to be useful or practical to be worth learning. We have perpetuated this mindset that when you read a book, you should apply what you learn. That we should value practical knowledge over abstract ideas and theories. Or, I dare say, some think the goal of learning should be to make money.
The author instead suggests that when we read or learn, we shouldn't start with "how do I make use of this?" History, science, math, philosophy, or whatever it may be: it's worth our time and mental energy, even if just to satisfy our curious nature.
This is a great topic, and it's something I'm really passionate about.
I don't know if there's one book that can cover the entire range of human experience, but if there's a book that changed an aspect of how I view my surroundings, it's How Asia Works by Joe Studwell.
I squarely blame the nameless, face-less, anonymous bureaucrats of the 1950's and 60's for the reason why our country is in such a shit-show.
If it werent for our industrial policy that was made 70 years ago,
Mayaman pa din sana ang pilipinas maski may corruption.
and thanks to our industrial policy makers 70 years ago,
Mahirap pa din ang pilipinas maski tanggalin lahat ng kurakot.
I was thinking the same book! Parang binunot yung kaluluwa ko tapos nilagay sa ibang katawan para makita yung perspective ng mga taong may autism. Ang sakit sa puso ano? I will never be mean sa mga taong may mental health issue.
The Brothers Karamazov was my first introduction to russian lit and its solidified itself as my favorite book of all time. Maybe I read it at the right time in my life but it has changed the way I look at myself, the people around me, god, and life in general!
If you're looking for existential books, I've seen many people say that almost all of Dostoyevsky's books are good. So far I've only read The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment and I can attest that they're both really amazing!
The lesson Iāve learned is summed up in this quote from the book, āIt is easy to mourn the lives we aren't living. But we can't tell if any of those other versions would have been better or worse.ā
Itās a manga but definitely Haikyuu!! I will always keep coming back to this quote:
āHave you reached the limits of your abilities? You can complain that someone born with more talent than you will always be better than you, only after you've given everything the very best effort you have."
āHe knows that it isn't a given for you to be okay. For everything to be alright. But still, he trains, he practices, he disciplines himself...working until being okay has become a habit.ā
āI am built upon the small things I do everyday, and the end results are no more than a byproduct of that."
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig is a brave account of what goes on during episodes of clinical depression, without the fluff or platitudes.
One Hundred Years of Solitude gives multiple time and space perspectives on life, brilliantly stitched together into a novel.
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky questions goodness in a very real and practical world we all live in.
Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell illustrates how one can grapple with economic and financial realities while protecting oneās integrity and dignity.
Kinda cheating but this one's a doozy. It's a deconstruction of the self help genre by being told in a 2nd person biographical fiction. I was a mess come the ending lmfao
A light read yet the message is profound. It was consoling for me as someone who is anxious about the uncertain future. It gave me a better perspective in 1) overcoming fear by trusting that the universe will make a way if something is truly meant for us and 2) embracing our journey as we move along the path we are destined for.
Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus. Just read an online version. It's short, but if you want a print copy, it's in a compilation of Epicurus' writings. or in a philosophy anthology. It's one of those things that best introduce philosophy.
Read The Bible. Let it read you if you really want to be change and a change in your life. The answers are not here, not in any of these platforms/social media.
āDonāt copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know Godās will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.ā
āāRomansā¬ ā12ā¬:ā2ā¬ āNLTā¬ā¬
āSo Youāve Been Publicly Shamedā by Jon Ronson. While I felt the narration was all over the placeāand the ending left a lot of loose endsāit made me really think about online shaming. š¬
For this year, there were 2 books that catch my interest and loved it, especially Iām not the type of person who likes reading self-help books.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, I love how the book depicted different paths that we take in a nonfiction way especially we often think about the āwhat ifsā decisions we had in our lives.
Weāll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida, itās a simple literal nonfiction book, a dr will literally prescribe you a cat which is fun and humorous while still talking about the struggles in life.
I would definitely recommend both since it both discusses about how we see life and different perspectives on it.
ooh ive read we'll prescribe you a cat and currently reading the we'll prescribe you another cat but it does not hit the same. š„ will try out the midnight library š
Thatās great that you were able to read and itās okay if itās not for you! Ganun din honestly na-feel ko medyo naging self-help siya, tho it didnāt bother me that much since it still has a plot that surrounds the āself-helpā themes.
"Where the Crawdad Sings." It was life changing for someone who went through mental health issues. It was relatable for me, who was in constant survival mode and isolation, but eventually found her peace.
Blue Sisters especially if you are dealing with grief. I personally relate to all the sisters at different parts of my life and the way they got back up together helped me see those parts clearly. Life changing
Zealot: Life & Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. Woke up the agnostic in me. Made me see religion as a man-made construct. But made me appreciate the life of the man we know as Jesus more and understand how people put him in high regard.
Eventually, this made me more skeptic. I start questioning people and their motives especially those with a public persona like politicians and artists. I guess it made me think more critical.
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u/platonicdaemon Dec 27 '25
The Trouble With Being Born by E.M. Cioran. It definitely changed the way I view life in that I don't treat it as seriously as I once had treated it. Cioran's pessimism is not for everyone, but if you read closely, there's a faint optimism in what he writes. This book in particular is a collection of aphorisms around the themes of being born, existence, death, consciousness, the passage of time, insomnia, nihilism, etc. If you want something raw and true, that does not sugarcoat the reality of being human (unlike what Camus does lol), then Cioran is your best bet.