The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself was published in 2007 and written by Michael A. Singer.
Many of us go through life with a "thorn" in our arms. We protect it, coddle it, and build our whole lives around it. We protect this thorn because it becomes a part of who we are. But after a while, it takes over. The thorn can disguise itself as loneliness, hatred, sadness, or fear. Once we learn to take the torn out, we're transformed, we see the beauty in life, and colors seem brighter. Michael A. Singer shows us in his book, The Untethered Soul, just how painful these thorns are.
Singer uses beautiful prose to show us the ways in which we are engineered to support our ego. In other words, we overthink life. Because of this, we suffer the human conditions of worry, self-doubt, and a slew of other problems. Singer's main message is to let go, detach; realize that you are simply not your thoughts.
In this book, what could be a catalyst for change in many people could be seen as a pompous and privileged perspective to some. The author carves out steps to transform your life in simple terms, however the principles you must apply to live this way will be hard to adjust to.
Regardless of how you take the advice that Singer offers, you will be met with one choice. Introspection or as Singer calls it, "the journey to the exploration of 'self.'" Understanding yourself is something he says is already programmed within us, but we simply forgot!
I believe this book can help you detach from old ways of thinking and leave more space in your life for positivity and growth. After all, life is a delicate balance and we could all use some help in this area. However, I want to critique Singer's ideas of detaching from emotion, which are very human things to have. He suggests that many of our torments evolve from emotions and when we let those rule our lives, we are detaching from our core being. This is confusing because yes we are emotional creatures. This emotional status humans have is what can make us feel alive in our best moments. Taking this away would mean achieving a level of stoicism that's hard for me to comprehend.
Whatever your thoughts on emotion might be, it's beneficial to keep in mind the standpoint that the writer is speaking from. The eurocentric, hetero-male privilege view will have different advantages compared to counterparts of different races, age groups, and genders. Something we should keep in mind when reading any type of literature!
Overall, I give this book a 7/10. The book provides value by giving you the tools to explore yourself and the thoughts within. You might question what spiritual standpoints you once had and want to adopt new ones. This is a good jumping-off point if you want to learn about your spiritual self and identify less with the human parts of you. I read this months ago-- and while I can't say that I have continued to fully practice the detachment that Singer suggests can change your life, I believe I gained valuable self-awareness from reading this.
Opmerkingen