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Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture
“The way your mind is structured will determine the person you will become, the life you will live, and the fulfillment you will realize. When you modify your mind, you make changes to the operating system at your core and change your personal trajectory. And when you make a persistent occupation of this endeavor, you become the architect of your own character.”
Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture is your digital handbook for mastering your own psychological software, one algorithm at a time. It is a psycho-philosophical self-development book that makes the bold claim that the human condition as you know it – is optional. That it is possible for you to unplug from your own mind, examine it from above, and modify the very psychological code on which you operate, permanently altering its limiting default patterns.
Whether fear prevents you from pursuing your ambitions, jealousy ruins your relationships, distractions rule your life, or you have an inner critic whose expectations you are never able to meet, the psychitectural framework will enable you to understand and rewire the hidden patterns behind your biases, habits, and emotional reactions. DTM will be your handbook for mastering your behavior, cognition, and emotions, and terraforming your mind into a truly delightful place to reside.
Buy it now at designingthemind.org/book
Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture is your digital handbook for mastering your own psychological software, one algorithm at a time. It is a psycho-philosophical self-development book that makes the bold claim that the human condition as you know it – is optional. That it is possible for you to unplug from your own mind, examine it from above, and modify the very psychological code on which you operate, permanently altering its limiting default patterns.
Whether fear prevents you from pursuing your ambitions, jealousy ruins your relationships, distractions rule your life, or you have an inner critic whose expectations you are never able to meet, the psychitectural framework will enable you to understand and rewire the hidden patterns behind your biases, habits, and emotional reactions. DTM will be your handbook for mastering your behavior, cognition, and emotions, and terraforming your mind into a truly delightful place to reside.
Buy it now at designingthemind.org/book
250 pages
Published January 12, 2021
About the author
Ryan A. Bush
3 books34 followersRyan A Bush is a thinker and designer focused on building better systems, better people, and a better future. As founder of Designing the Mind, his central purpose is to provide wisdom education and integrate the insights of ancient and modern thinkers to form a new vision for psychological growth and self-mastery.
Ryan has written multiple bestselling books like Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture, built life-changing programs like The Anxiety Algorithm, and launched Mindform, the world’s first psychitecture collective and training platform. His ideas have been featured on Psyche, Lifehack, and Modern Stoicism, and he has been a guest on podcasts like Modern Wisdom, The Unmistakable Creative, and This Anthro Life.
Ryan is also a startup cofounder and Chief Design Officer at Nomad. He lives in a small mountain town where he spends his time creating, reflecting, and adventuring with his partner and their corgi, Hootie, who is on track to be an honors student this year.
Ryan has written multiple bestselling books like Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture, built life-changing programs like The Anxiety Algorithm, and launched Mindform, the world’s first psychitecture collective and training platform. His ideas have been featured on Psyche, Lifehack, and Modern Stoicism, and he has been a guest on podcasts like Modern Wisdom, The Unmistakable Creative, and This Anthro Life.
Ryan is also a startup cofounder and Chief Design Officer at Nomad. He lives in a small mountain town where he spends his time creating, reflecting, and adventuring with his partner and their corgi, Hootie, who is on track to be an honors student this year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
July 30, 2021
Designing the Mind is an ambitious work of non-fiction attempting to elucidate and systematize several tools and methods that can help us overcome the glitches inherent in our brains across three major arenas: congnition, emotions, and behaviour.
It does this by a) exploring faulty mental shortcuts or algorithms such as biases and cognitive distortions, in addition to determining their origin, and b) giving well tested tips backed up by scientists and philosophers that would enable us to resist and ameliorate them.
One of the advantages of Designing the Mind is that it has a wide scope, so you will find both philosophical and psychological discussions, poignant and well placed quotations, and effective and helpful advice. This is the first book I encounter which does not limit itself to one field but tackles all three *mentioned above*.
The book is concise and incredibly accessible to the average reader; however, I felt that as it was striving to encompass numerous complex and heavy topics in 250 pages it only managed to do so in a relatively superficial manner, which detracted from my enjoyment. Basically for someone who has read several books in philosophy and psychology, there was barely any information that I have not encountered before, not through any fault of the author though. That's on me.
To conclude, if you are a beginner, this would serve as a brief and systematic introduction from which you can move on to more comprehensive and detailed texts; on the other hand, if you have already explored these themes, this would serve as a useful refresher that you can quickly go through from time to time. The "Key Takeaways" section makes this process even smoother and less time-consuming.
It does this by a) exploring faulty mental shortcuts or algorithms such as biases and cognitive distortions, in addition to determining their origin, and b) giving well tested tips backed up by scientists and philosophers that would enable us to resist and ameliorate them.
One of the advantages of Designing the Mind is that it has a wide scope, so you will find both philosophical and psychological discussions, poignant and well placed quotations, and effective and helpful advice. This is the first book I encounter which does not limit itself to one field but tackles all three *mentioned above*.
The book is concise and incredibly accessible to the average reader; however, I felt that as it was striving to encompass numerous complex and heavy topics in 250 pages it only managed to do so in a relatively superficial manner, which detracted from my enjoyment. Basically for someone who has read several books in philosophy and psychology, there was barely any information that I have not encountered before, not through any fault of the author though. That's on me.
To conclude, if you are a beginner, this would serve as a brief and systematic introduction from which you can move on to more comprehensive and detailed texts; on the other hand, if you have already explored these themes, this would serve as a useful refresher that you can quickly go through from time to time. The "Key Takeaways" section makes this process even smoother and less time-consuming.
November 6, 2020
This was an absolute powerhouse of a book. [Full disclosure: I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.] Although I am always honoured by such requests, I wasn't sure what to expect here, to be honest...
Designing the Mind is roughly one part philosophy, one part self-help, and one part psychology and social psychology. The author combines writings from these disciplines to help people acquire the tools to make sense of their innate wiring, and better themselves and their lives. I should add right up front that this was done with exceptional efficacy. This is not your average, run-of-the-mill cheesy self-help book.
The author opens the book with a disqualifier; this book is not for everyone. It is targeted at people who are interested in self-betterment; along the lines and traditions of Stoicism, Buddhism, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
I found the concepts covered here to be extremely interesting and thought-provoking.
The author takes the reader through some traditional philosophy here; many prominent thinkers are referenced, and their themes built upon.
This was an incredibly captivating and engaging read. The writing here is on par with, and similar to some of the better writing from authors like Steven Pinker, Yuval Noah Harari, Roy F. Baumeister, and Dan Ariely.
The author quotes many historical and popular intellectuals, academics, and philosophers in these pages; including Confucius, Dalai Lama, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Baruch Spinoza, Steven Pinker, Yuval Noah Harari, and many others...
There are many excellent quotes here. The author compiled a few short ones on the subject of desire:
I am a huge proponent of bettering one's self, and I already continue to make the small incremental changes for the advancement of myself that the author describes in the first chapter:
Designing the Mind has excellent formatting: It is broken into larger chapters, and each chapter into smaller segments with headers. Each segment; into easily-digestible paragraphs. The author fields a topic, and then breaks it down in the subsequent writing. Also, each chapter closes with a bullet-point summary. This makes for very effective writing and excellent communication! I always award extra points to a book that can employ engaging and effective writing in this way.
The topics covered in this book are more relevant today than ever, IMHO. Our current age faces the challenges of increased tribalism and societal polarization, social media, mass disinformation, fake news, and the proliferation of pseudoscience - many issues that have resulted from the explosion and democratization of information via the internet. And, although our technology is expanding at an exponential rate, we have fixed hardware, and software that often lags behind the fast-paced changes that occur in society.
People are the strangest animals, which is why I enjoy studying them through the fields of psychology and social psychology. As mentioned earlier, this book brings together a myriad of expertise from those fields, and many relevant concepts are talked about in these pages.
The book also covers many interesting related theories that the reader may not have heard before, or be aware of. Among them:
*Metacognition, meditation, and mindfulness.
*Cognitive biases, and common fallacies.
*Bayesian reasoning.
*Socratic questioning.
*The butterfly effect.
*Emotional algorithms.
Designing the Mind pays tribute to, and builds on ancient philosophy.
In this sense, it could be considered similar to popular newer books, like Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. While I did enjoy Manson's book, I feel that this one was better written, and contained much more real substance.
I think Manson's book was aimed at the average person, while this one will resonate more with students of philosophy, those interested in social psychology, and others looking to "GET AFTER IT".
This book deals with big-picture, broad-based concepts and thinking. As I mentioned earlier; I was not sure what to expect from the writing here. I can say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, and the topics addressed and covered by the author here. He did an outstanding job with this work.
I am not usually too much of a fan of philosophy; as I find much of it to be arduous and dry. I think this book did a great job of bringing philosophy to the reader in an interesting and engaging manner.
Designing the Mind was an exceptionally well-researched, formatted, written, and delivered book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested, and wish the author great success in its future publication and reception.
This book makes for great reference material, and I am considering giving it a second read, when the audiobook format is available.
I was so impressed by this one that I think I'll add it to my "favorites" shelf, too.
An easy 5-star rating here.
Designing the Mind is roughly one part philosophy, one part self-help, and one part psychology and social psychology. The author combines writings from these disciplines to help people acquire the tools to make sense of their innate wiring, and better themselves and their lives. I should add right up front that this was done with exceptional efficacy. This is not your average, run-of-the-mill cheesy self-help book.
The author opens the book with a disqualifier; this book is not for everyone. It is targeted at people who are interested in self-betterment; along the lines and traditions of Stoicism, Buddhism, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
I found the concepts covered here to be extremely interesting and thought-provoking.
The author takes the reader through some traditional philosophy here; many prominent thinkers are referenced, and their themes built upon.
This was an incredibly captivating and engaging read. The writing here is on par with, and similar to some of the better writing from authors like Steven Pinker, Yuval Noah Harari, Roy F. Baumeister, and Dan Ariely.
The author quotes many historical and popular intellectuals, academics, and philosophers in these pages; including Confucius, Dalai Lama, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Baruch Spinoza, Steven Pinker, Yuval Noah Harari, and many others...
"...One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” -Abraham Maslow.
You must understand that your mind is not a delicate machine to be protected from variability and stress. The mind is made better through stress and discomfort. When you force yourself out of your comfort zone, you gain reference experiences that teach you the things you feared aren’t so bad..."
There are many excellent quotes here. The author compiled a few short ones on the subject of desire:
"He has the most who is most content with the least.” - Diogenes
“The sage desires to have few desires.” - Lao Tzu
"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." - Socrates
"We are enriched not by what we possess, but by what we can do without.” - Immanuel Kant.
"I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them." - John Stuart Mill
I am a huge proponent of bettering one's self, and I already continue to make the small incremental changes for the advancement of myself that the author describes in the first chapter:
"Kaizen is a Japanese term often used in business, meaning continuous change for the better - an ongoing endeavor for incremental optimization. This concept can be applied to the psychological operating system just as easily. Individual thoughts, emotions, and actions are never the problem, in the same way that the individual drops of water leaking through your roof are not the problem. We are interested in the source. In the structural patterns."
Designing the Mind has excellent formatting: It is broken into larger chapters, and each chapter into smaller segments with headers. Each segment; into easily-digestible paragraphs. The author fields a topic, and then breaks it down in the subsequent writing. Also, each chapter closes with a bullet-point summary. This makes for very effective writing and excellent communication! I always award extra points to a book that can employ engaging and effective writing in this way.
The topics covered in this book are more relevant today than ever, IMHO. Our current age faces the challenges of increased tribalism and societal polarization, social media, mass disinformation, fake news, and the proliferation of pseudoscience - many issues that have resulted from the explosion and democratization of information via the internet. And, although our technology is expanding at an exponential rate, we have fixed hardware, and software that often lags behind the fast-paced changes that occur in society.
People are the strangest animals, which is why I enjoy studying them through the fields of psychology and social psychology. As mentioned earlier, this book brings together a myriad of expertise from those fields, and many relevant concepts are talked about in these pages.
The book also covers many interesting related theories that the reader may not have heard before, or be aware of. Among them:
*Metacognition, meditation, and mindfulness.
*Cognitive biases, and common fallacies.
*Bayesian reasoning.
*Socratic questioning.
*The butterfly effect.
*Emotional algorithms.
Designing the Mind pays tribute to, and builds on ancient philosophy.
In this sense, it could be considered similar to popular newer books, like Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. While I did enjoy Manson's book, I feel that this one was better written, and contained much more real substance.
I think Manson's book was aimed at the average person, while this one will resonate more with students of philosophy, those interested in social psychology, and others looking to "GET AFTER IT".
This book deals with big-picture, broad-based concepts and thinking. As I mentioned earlier; I was not sure what to expect from the writing here. I can say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, and the topics addressed and covered by the author here. He did an outstanding job with this work.
I am not usually too much of a fan of philosophy; as I find much of it to be arduous and dry. I think this book did a great job of bringing philosophy to the reader in an interesting and engaging manner.
Designing the Mind was an exceptionally well-researched, formatted, written, and delivered book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested, and wish the author great success in its future publication and reception.
This book makes for great reference material, and I am considering giving it a second read, when the audiobook format is available.
I was so impressed by this one that I think I'll add it to my "favorites" shelf, too.
An easy 5-star rating here.
July 5, 2021
A great book on reappraising the content in your mind.
I think this is a great book. The philosophy and art of writing of the author is superb. The book focuses on the algorithms that program one’s mind, and it shows how to reprogram nefarious software that we have downloaded into our brains over many years. This is an exceptional self-help, psychology, philosophy, and self-development book. Check it out ASAP.
I think this is a great book. The philosophy and art of writing of the author is superb. The book focuses on the algorithms that program one’s mind, and it shows how to reprogram nefarious software that we have downloaded into our brains over many years. This is an exceptional self-help, psychology, philosophy, and self-development book. Check it out ASAP.
May 19, 2021
Q:
But some of our biases can be linked directly to biological pressures, meaning it was in some way advantageous to our genes for us to systematically misperceive reality. The most pernicious biases have this in common: they stem from desire. I refer to these as motivated biases. We may want to develop an accurate view of reality, but this will to genuinely understand is imperceptibly overpowered by other motivations. (c)
But some of our biases can be linked directly to biological pressures, meaning it was in some way advantageous to our genes for us to systematically misperceive reality. The most pernicious biases have this in common: they stem from desire. I refer to these as motivated biases. We may want to develop an accurate view of reality, but this will to genuinely understand is imperceptibly overpowered by other motivations. (c)
January 13, 2021
How do I begin reviewing this masterpiece.? It was a roller-coaster journey into my own mind. I must say, to write so wonderfully, practically and device subtle steps to rewire our mind, the author must be no less than an enlightened. Though I think the examples given for the emotional algorithms could have been less gross and more subtle, I appreciate the systematic, organised and simple but effective approach of encouraging the readers towards designing our minds.
The basic drill to relate to is to look at our mind as a software program.
Beginning with the idea of identifying fault in our systems and intervening to fix it, neuroplasticity of our brains, cognitive biases we fall prey to and de-biasing them, self-introspection and up to the hierarchy of our goals, regulating emotional algorithms, mediating and restructuring them, identifying the faulty algorithms, managing our desires, and finally achieving self-mastery. I can see how the author has put up a perfect cocktail, if I can call it that, with a personal touch.
Ryan says that the inability to control one’s emotions is considered normal and hence the belief- "emotions cannot be controlled". He also says that some of the biases that we inevitably fall prey to, are bound to manifest in one’s emotional life in the form of Negative Automatic Thoughts which then in turn become our Habitual Interpretation- the cognitive catalyst for our emotional reactions.
In simple terms, judgements or conclusions or pre-conceived notions which are readily available in our conscious mind without having to put any effort to give-a-thought-on any given stimulus.
But on the flip-side, we are given the gift of RE-INTERPRETATION after an experience of negative emotion. Which according to the author is an opportunity where we can rewire our faulty algorithms.
To quote him, “We choose irrational interpretations and we do it because it feels good” for example victimhood, where he also gives a fair warning, “You teach yourself what is important to you through your behaviours, so behave wisely”.
It reminds me of eastern spirituality when he talks about managing desires so as to make them work towards our goal and says, “You can learn to desire for the present to be exactly as it is while desiring for the future to be different”. And of enlightenment when he talks about Equanimity, to quote, “A state of undisturbed tranquillity and psychological stability”.
And so, I call this a perfect cocktail, fused with teachings of both western life coaches and eastern Gurus and with a personal touch of showing us the Big-Picture in an organised frame, also not to forget, the know-how of rewiring our mind.
“You can only be as happy as your mind is programmed to be” but the good news is You are the architect!
The book gets 5/5.
The basic drill to relate to is to look at our mind as a software program.
Beginning with the idea of identifying fault in our systems and intervening to fix it, neuroplasticity of our brains, cognitive biases we fall prey to and de-biasing them, self-introspection and up to the hierarchy of our goals, regulating emotional algorithms, mediating and restructuring them, identifying the faulty algorithms, managing our desires, and finally achieving self-mastery. I can see how the author has put up a perfect cocktail, if I can call it that, with a personal touch.
Ryan says that the inability to control one’s emotions is considered normal and hence the belief- "emotions cannot be controlled". He also says that some of the biases that we inevitably fall prey to, are bound to manifest in one’s emotional life in the form of Negative Automatic Thoughts which then in turn become our Habitual Interpretation- the cognitive catalyst for our emotional reactions.
In simple terms, judgements or conclusions or pre-conceived notions which are readily available in our conscious mind without having to put any effort to give-a-thought-on any given stimulus.
But on the flip-side, we are given the gift of RE-INTERPRETATION after an experience of negative emotion. Which according to the author is an opportunity where we can rewire our faulty algorithms.
To quote him, “We choose irrational interpretations and we do it because it feels good” for example victimhood, where he also gives a fair warning, “You teach yourself what is important to you through your behaviours, so behave wisely”.
It reminds me of eastern spirituality when he talks about managing desires so as to make them work towards our goal and says, “You can learn to desire for the present to be exactly as it is while desiring for the future to be different”. And of enlightenment when he talks about Equanimity, to quote, “A state of undisturbed tranquillity and psychological stability”.
And so, I call this a perfect cocktail, fused with teachings of both western life coaches and eastern Gurus and with a personal touch of showing us the Big-Picture in an organised frame, also not to forget, the know-how of rewiring our mind.
“You can only be as happy as your mind is programmed to be” but the good news is You are the architect!
The book gets 5/5.
July 7, 2021
يحاول كل عصر تفسير العقل البشري بمصطلحات واستعارات التقنيات السائدة. بالنسبة لأفلاطون ، كان العقل عبارة عن عربة. بالنسبة إلى ديكارت ، كان عبارة عن ساعة ميكانيكية. بالنسبة لفرويد ، كان محركًا بخاريًا. اليوم ، أكثر نظير للعقل شيوعًا هو الكمبيوتر. على الرغم من صحة ما يقال : أن أدمغتنا ليست حواسيب رقمية بالمعنى الحرفي للكلمة ، مبنية على دوائر السيليكون والمنطق الثنائي ، ولكن الاستعارة الحديثة للعقل كجهاز كمبيوتر هي الأقوى والأ��ثر شمولاً على الإطلاق. جهازنا هو الدماغ ، الركيزة المادية المكونة من الخلايا العصبية والمواد الكيميائية والنبضات الكهربائية. برنامجنا هو عالم تجربتنا - العقل. يتم اختبار أحاسيسنا ��عواطفنا وأفكارنا داخليًا في العقل ، ولكن جميعها بها ظواهر فيزيائية وراءها ويمكن أن تتأثر بالأحداث الخارجية والمواد الكيميائية والتكنولوجيا.
لا تولّد عقولنا المشاعر أو الإدراك بشكل تعسفي: هناك أنماط مشفرة في هذا البرنامج ، مسجلة بملايين أو حتى بلايين السنين من الانتقاء الطبيعي. ينطبق الشيء نفسه على عمليات التفكير والشعور الداخلية البحتة. كلهم يتدفقون من نظام محدد بنفس الطريقة التي تنبثق بها مخرجات الكمبيوتر من الخوارزميات المضمنة فيه بواسطة مبرمجيه. السبب في عدم قدرتنا على التنبؤ بالسلوك البشري تمامًا هو أن عقولنا هي أكثر الآلات تعقيدًا على الإطلاق (حتى الآن). إنهم لا يديرون حلقة بسيطة ، بل نظام معقد يأخذ مدخلات وحسابات لا حصر لها في سلوكه.
.
Ryan A. Bush
Designing The Mind
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
لا تولّد عقولنا المشاعر أو الإدراك بشكل تعسفي: هناك أنماط مشفرة في هذا البرنامج ، مسجلة بملايين أو حتى بلايين السنين من الانتقاء الطبيعي. ينطبق الشيء نفسه على عمليات التفكير والشعور الداخلية البحتة. كلهم يتدفقون من نظام محدد بنفس الطريقة التي تنبثق بها مخرجات الكمبيوتر من الخوارزميات المضمنة فيه بواسطة مبرمجيه. السبب في عدم قدرتنا على التنبؤ بالسلوك البشري تمامًا هو أن عقولنا هي أكثر الآلات تعقيدًا على الإطلاق (حتى الآن). إنهم لا يديرون حلقة بسيطة ، بل نظام معقد يأخذ مدخلات وحسابات لا حصر لها في سلوكه.
.
Ryan A. Bush
Designing The Mind
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
October 6, 2020
Fascinating book with a fresh new take on self development/self actualization in a Programmer's perspective.
The book reads like it reverse engineers the mind of an actualized person and is packed with ideas. Interesting take on self development with a logical approach, where the ideas in the book are told like a simple computer language. It is essentially a modern stoic book with practical advices on how to deal with various emotional and mental situations. Author implies that, at the end of the day the mind is the only thing that we truly have and needs to be designed and cultivated day by day.
My only criticism is that it is too packed with ideas and can be a little dry.
This book is more of a manual to be studied than leisurely read and I found it hard to read this book on a short break. There are also so many good points I wish there was a mini summary so I could remember it better.
All in all, this is a great book that'll leave you a better person for reading it.
The book reads like it reverse engineers the mind of an actualized person and is packed with ideas. Interesting take on self development with a logical approach, where the ideas in the book are told like a simple computer language. It is essentially a modern stoic book with practical advices on how to deal with various emotional and mental situations. Author implies that, at the end of the day the mind is the only thing that we truly have and needs to be designed and cultivated day by day.
My only criticism is that it is too packed with ideas and can be a little dry.
This book is more of a manual to be studied than leisurely read and I found it hard to read this book on a short break. There are also so many good points I wish there was a mini summary so I could remember it better.
All in all, this is a great book that'll leave you a better person for reading it.
August 10, 2021
This book is a gem.
It beautifully distills and synthesises key ideas from the fields of evolutionary and humanistic psychology, rationality and cognitive biases, philosophy, and cognitive behavioural therapy, providing a unique view of the mind and our role in shaping it.
It informs, it inspires, it calls to action: it invites you to a life long quest of optimizing your mind and you won't think twice before saying "I am in". If there ever was a life changing book, this is the one.
It beautifully distills and synthesises key ideas from the fields of evolutionary and humanistic psychology, rationality and cognitive biases, philosophy, and cognitive behavioural therapy, providing a unique view of the mind and our role in shaping it.
It informs, it inspires, it calls to action: it invites you to a life long quest of optimizing your mind and you won't think twice before saying "I am in". If there ever was a life changing book, this is the one.
May 9, 2021
""The Buddha's algorithm for dealing with grief, "The world is afflicted with death and decay but the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world."- Siddartha Gautama.
Buddhism encourages people to develop a different kind of relationship with their gains, possessions, and even their loved ones. When we fully understand that all things must end we can learn to appreciate the finite amount of time we have with others and celebrate the end rather than repeatedly morning the tragedy of impermanence."" - Ryan A Bush
Buddhism encourages people to develop a different kind of relationship with their gains, possessions, and even their loved ones. When we fully understand that all things must end we can learn to appreciate the finite amount of time we have with others and celebrate the end rather than repeatedly morning the tragedy of impermanence."" - Ryan A Bush
August 27, 2021
I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for feedback and a fair and honest review.
This book explores techniques for improving your algorithms of thought. Although the particulars of this book are quite good, I am slightly put off by the strict focus on improvement and the general attitude that the book has "the" answers. While we certainly all have room to improve our algorithms of thought, I think the real power of these techniques is they allow us to engage in a curiosity led journey of self discovery with respect to our thoughts. For example, the chapter on emotional self mastery takes a very instrumental view of emotions. While I agree with equanimity as a goal, the idea that the only purpose of emotions is to advance our goals leaves me a bit cold.
The book covers common cognitive and emotional biases as well as techniques to counter these biases. Cognitive biases prevent us from seeing the external world clearly. Emotional biases reduce the clarity with which we see our internal use. Combating our biases helps us judge rightly about our lives.
We can learn to align our lives with our deepest values. We need to realize that many of our goals come from our desires or the defaults set by society. Instead, we need to analyze our values and use those to drive our goals. By continually refining our values and goals we can create a life aligned with those values. When we have goals that do not align with our values, we will be less motivated to work toward them.
Once we have value aligned goals, we can learn to control our emotions. We do this not by rejecting our emotions but instead by changing how we react to our negative emotions. The goal of emotional regulation is to generate a sense of equanimity. You want to feel emotions without being controlled by them.
We also need to control our desires. We can choose which desires we want to focus on — ideally, the ones that align with our goals and our values. Willpower is hard to maintain and easily backslides, so the more our desires align with our goals, the more we're be able to build up maintainable habits. We can also make sure our desires are put in the proper perspective. By focusing on intrinsic desires, practicing giving up desires, and having a diversity of desires to focus on, we can become more resilient in the face of unfulfilled desires.
The culmination of all this is the ability to master your own behaviors. This allows you to direct your life toward the goals and values you want to be true to. If we align these our values, goals, and desires, then advancing our goals will become effortless and playful rather than tedious and work-like.
Self mastery is is accessible to anyone in any circumstance, no matter how good or bad. Working to improve oneself should be a life goal of every person. Doing so can help people realize their potential.
This book explores techniques for improving your algorithms of thought. Although the particulars of this book are quite good, I am slightly put off by the strict focus on improvement and the general attitude that the book has "the" answers. While we certainly all have room to improve our algorithms of thought, I think the real power of these techniques is they allow us to engage in a curiosity led journey of self discovery with respect to our thoughts. For example, the chapter on emotional self mastery takes a very instrumental view of emotions. While I agree with equanimity as a goal, the idea that the only purpose of emotions is to advance our goals leaves me a bit cold.
The book covers common cognitive and emotional biases as well as techniques to counter these biases. Cognitive biases prevent us from seeing the external world clearly. Emotional biases reduce the clarity with which we see our internal use. Combating our biases helps us judge rightly about our lives.
We can learn to align our lives with our deepest values. We need to realize that many of our goals come from our desires or the defaults set by society. Instead, we need to analyze our values and use those to drive our goals. By continually refining our values and goals we can create a life aligned with those values. When we have goals that do not align with our values, we will be less motivated to work toward them.
Once we have value aligned goals, we can learn to control our emotions. We do this not by rejecting our emotions but instead by changing how we react to our negative emotions. The goal of emotional regulation is to generate a sense of equanimity. You want to feel emotions without being controlled by them.
We also need to control our desires. We can choose which desires we want to focus on — ideally, the ones that align with our goals and our values. Willpower is hard to maintain and easily backslides, so the more our desires align with our goals, the more we're be able to build up maintainable habits. We can also make sure our desires are put in the proper perspective. By focusing on intrinsic desires, practicing giving up desires, and having a diversity of desires to focus on, we can become more resilient in the face of unfulfilled desires.
The culmination of all this is the ability to master your own behaviors. This allows you to direct your life toward the goals and values you want to be true to. If we align these our values, goals, and desires, then advancing our goals will become effortless and playful rather than tedious and work-like.
Self mastery is is accessible to anyone in any circumstance, no matter how good or bad. Working to improve oneself should be a life goal of every person. Doing so can help people realize their potential.
May 4, 2021
I was provided with a copy of this book in return for a review. It's not exactly my normal reading matter, and I started it with a slight feeling of cynicism. Having studied philosophy, I'm always a little wary when philosophy is used in the self-help/personal development genre of books - as often it is inappropriately quoted. My cynicism was misplaced. (I may be be being unfair in positioning the book in that genre, but I think it is the closest that fits).
The book is well written, not something you can say about that many books that fits within the genre. It covers some moderately complex ideas in a nice, clear and accessible way. It is a very humane book as it shows a pathway to self improvement without any sense of criticising people who have not taken the path. It is realistic and written with a generous spirit. I both enjoyed it and got something from the book. It left me with plenty to think about.
There are a few minor niggles which I'm sure I could discuss with anyone else who read it, but none that really effected my overall appreciation. The only criticism of any weight might be that the book covers so much ground - each of the chapters could probably be a book in its own right - that it is less the answer to designing the mind than a starting point to finding an answer. However, I think the author is well aware of this and makes no claim that this is anything more than that starting place.
The book is well written, not something you can say about that many books that fits within the genre. It covers some moderately complex ideas in a nice, clear and accessible way. It is a very humane book as it shows a pathway to self improvement without any sense of criticising people who have not taken the path. It is realistic and written with a generous spirit. I both enjoyed it and got something from the book. It left me with plenty to think about.
There are a few minor niggles which I'm sure I could discuss with anyone else who read it, but none that really effected my overall appreciation. The only criticism of any weight might be that the book covers so much ground - each of the chapters could probably be a book in its own right - that it is less the answer to designing the mind than a starting point to finding an answer. However, I think the author is well aware of this and makes no claim that this is anything more than that starting place.
November 6, 2023
The lyrics of James Blake's song Loading put it quite well: "Wherever I go, I'm only as good as my mind." It is fascinating to think about how one's entire existence is basically mediated by means of one's mind. A good life is thus always connected to a good mind. What Ryan A. Bush is trying to accomplish with this book is delving deeper into this idea and presenting a framework around it.
The framework consists basically of perceiving the structure of the mind as psychological software, which includes one's worldview, emotional tendencies, habits and cognitive biases. This psychological software is responsible for the way one reacts and responds to everything that one encounters or experiences. This analogy between the mind and software goes further, as Bush describes our mental, emotional and behavioral habits as algorithms that follow a "if this - then that" pattern.
As these algorithms do not always work to our advantage, it is necessary to deliberately reprogram our psychological operating systems sometimes. Bush coined the term psychitecture to express this act of self-directed psychological evolution.
The science to back the possibility of psychitecture can be found in the findings regarding neuroplasticity. For Bush, the goal of psychitecture is to increasingly determine one's own subjective experience by cultivating greater wisdom, self-control and tranquility. This can be achieved, for example, through introspection, and rewiring default behaviors as well as emotional responses and cognitive biases.
Even though the language centered around software is quite recent, most of the ideas presented in this framework have their roots much further in the past. Its main pillars seem to be Stoicism, Buddhism and Humanistic Psychology.
Even though I am very familiar with the domain of software development and all of the terms Bush uses in his analogy, I am not a big fan of the "mind software" language he uses. It is not that I actively dislike it, I just do not really find myself thinking about the mind in this way - even after reading this book.
Most topics from this book, such as cognitive errors, stoicism or habits have been discussed in greater length and more detail in other books that I have read, but the way they are tied together in one coherent framework in this book made it quite readable.
The framework consists basically of perceiving the structure of the mind as psychological software, which includes one's worldview, emotional tendencies, habits and cognitive biases. This psychological software is responsible for the way one reacts and responds to everything that one encounters or experiences. This analogy between the mind and software goes further, as Bush describes our mental, emotional and behavioral habits as algorithms that follow a "if this - then that" pattern.
As these algorithms do not always work to our advantage, it is necessary to deliberately reprogram our psychological operating systems sometimes. Bush coined the term psychitecture to express this act of self-directed psychological evolution.
The science to back the possibility of psychitecture can be found in the findings regarding neuroplasticity. For Bush, the goal of psychitecture is to increasingly determine one's own subjective experience by cultivating greater wisdom, self-control and tranquility. This can be achieved, for example, through introspection, and rewiring default behaviors as well as emotional responses and cognitive biases.
Even though the language centered around software is quite recent, most of the ideas presented in this framework have their roots much further in the past. Its main pillars seem to be Stoicism, Buddhism and Humanistic Psychology.
Even though I am very familiar with the domain of software development and all of the terms Bush uses in his analogy, I am not a big fan of the "mind software" language he uses. It is not that I actively dislike it, I just do not really find myself thinking about the mind in this way - even after reading this book.
Most topics from this book, such as cognitive errors, stoicism or habits have been discussed in greater length and more detail in other books that I have read, but the way they are tied together in one coherent framework in this book made it quite readable.
November 15, 2020
Beautiful work. I would like to say first that I did not read this book, this book read me very well. Not only did it read me it sharpened my understanding of my philosophical basis right down to breaking down Aristotle and Nietzsche to a few understandable and realistic principles that are realistic and understandably workable to anyone who reads them, and if understand as well as practice the principles, that makes it a whole other level of reality.
So, I can only give this humbly ideal advice about the book: If you are a beginner, read the book and practice the ideas for a few months and see if your life does not improve (I have been doing this in some genuine form since I was about three or four years old in a disciplined way reading, honing and understanding my reality and doing what I need to do growth-wise).
If you are intermediate or advanced, see if this work does not harmonize fully with your understanding (it does for me).
Indeed, the mind is the most malleable, and growth worthy things if used and understood properly. Yet, when you use your mind properly, the only limit on reality is the structure of reality and its function as there are not any pedagogical or teaching infinities and mastery is always possible to those that genuinely want it and want to put in the effort to get it ultimately.
So, deeply, I recommend this work to anyone beginning, intermediate or advanced in the art of designing the mind or creating their own genuine mastery. Sure, I compare this to the works of G.I Gurdjieff, especially the second book: "Meetings With Remarkable Men" in scope. But it just gives good material like "Meetings With Remarkable Men", not digests it for you like "Beelzebub's Tales To His Grandson" (Gurdjieff's first books) which uses obscure, "strange" and unusual terms to break up the continuum of boredom consciousness or "sleep" and fully awaken the mind before giving material that excites the mind.
Anyhow, this is a great work and I genuinely recommend it to all.
So, I can only give this humbly ideal advice about the book: If you are a beginner, read the book and practice the ideas for a few months and see if your life does not improve (I have been doing this in some genuine form since I was about three or four years old in a disciplined way reading, honing and understanding my reality and doing what I need to do growth-wise).
If you are intermediate or advanced, see if this work does not harmonize fully with your understanding (it does for me).
Indeed, the mind is the most malleable, and growth worthy things if used and understood properly. Yet, when you use your mind properly, the only limit on reality is the structure of reality and its function as there are not any pedagogical or teaching infinities and mastery is always possible to those that genuinely want it and want to put in the effort to get it ultimately.
So, deeply, I recommend this work to anyone beginning, intermediate or advanced in the art of designing the mind or creating their own genuine mastery. Sure, I compare this to the works of G.I Gurdjieff, especially the second book: "Meetings With Remarkable Men" in scope. But it just gives good material like "Meetings With Remarkable Men", not digests it for you like "Beelzebub's Tales To His Grandson" (Gurdjieff's first books) which uses obscure, "strange" and unusual terms to break up the continuum of boredom consciousness or "sleep" and fully awaken the mind before giving material that excites the mind.
Anyhow, this is a great work and I genuinely recommend it to all.
May 30, 2021
Why I read it: The author suggested me to read it, as he saw a lot of relevant authors among the books I’ve reviewed. It was quite existing as this was the first time that happened to me.
What I liked about it:
It was a great summary of a lot of ideas I came across over the years of reading self-help and thought as useful.
It provided enough quotes from philosophers and stoics to convince me I want to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius soonish.
It contained just the right amount of actionable exercises and advices. I didn’t do them yet but took notes and bookmarked the chapters to get back to them in upcoming weeks.
It had few ideas that really stuck with me and already had an effect. The main one being ‘we often learn about ourselves by observing our own behaviours’. I repeat that when I want to push myself towards a better long term choice.
What I disliked:
I think the main warning I want to give for anyone who will be curious to read this book is that in some places the tone of the book seems as if the author knows the answer to life, universe and everything and what he suggested is completely true for everyone everywhere. I found that to be a little irritating. But if you’ll manage to look past that, I think you can get some real good advices and ideas here.
What I liked about it:
It was a great summary of a lot of ideas I came across over the years of reading self-help and thought as useful.
It provided enough quotes from philosophers and stoics to convince me I want to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius soonish.
It contained just the right amount of actionable exercises and advices. I didn’t do them yet but took notes and bookmarked the chapters to get back to them in upcoming weeks.
It had few ideas that really stuck with me and already had an effect. The main one being ‘we often learn about ourselves by observing our own behaviours’. I repeat that when I want to push myself towards a better long term choice.
What I disliked:
I think the main warning I want to give for anyone who will be curious to read this book is that in some places the tone of the book seems as if the author knows the answer to life, universe and everything and what he suggested is completely true for everyone everywhere. I found that to be a little irritating. But if you’ll manage to look past that, I think you can get some real good advices and ideas here.
January 15, 2021
Designing the Mind is a blend of psychology, self-improvement and systems thinking; explained through the lens of a computer programmer. Ryan Bush does an excellent job of comparing our brain to a computer's hardware, and our mind as the software that operates our brain. He keeps the technical jargon limited and explains the parallels in simple terms. With this high level background, he explains how each event that plays out in our minds is an algorithm. And by noticing these repeating sets of inputs and outputs, we can re-program our minds to correct unwanted behavior and create new habits.
January 13, 2021
I have read a copious amount of self help books and this book is one of those books that will help you attain timeless wisdom and the Stoic teachings made the book more interesting. It is a well researched and formatted read.
This book is for people drawn to the philosophies of Buddhism and Stoicism or the fields of Humanistic Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Thank you to Book Publicity services for freely giving me a copy of this book to review before it was even launched. I would love to have a hardcopy of this book to add to my collection of books.
This book is for people drawn to the philosophies of Buddhism and Stoicism or the fields of Humanistic Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Thank you to Book Publicity services for freely giving me a copy of this book to review before it was even launched. I would love to have a hardcopy of this book to add to my collection of books.
May 23, 2023
If I were to recommend a book on self-improvement, this is it; on psychology, also it; behavioral change? You guessed it.
Indeed, I would be so bold as to claim that reading this book may lead to your biggest paradigm shifts yet in the subject of thinking about thinking.
42/42
Indeed, I would be so bold as to claim that reading this book may lead to your biggest paradigm shifts yet in the subject of thinking about thinking.
42/42
August 30, 2021
An excellent summary of strategies to improve one's mind -- building a better mind, as the author describes it. Most of the book is not new. What is fresh is Ryan Bush's use of the metaphor of a computer with software to catalogue and describe what has been shown, through experience and research, to help identifying and repairing cognitive, emotional, and behavioural issues we are challenged by -- or to fulfill our desires to improve our lives in these three domains. Bush has been clever in producing a coherent approach called psychitecture -- 'the practice of designing and optimizing the software of one's mind.
The strategies (Bush calls algorithms) are wide-ranging in scope, and they are all amenable to everyday use by everyday people like you and me. There are a lot of notes for each chapter allowing the reader to follow up the sources of the information.
One of the attractive aspects of the book is that the author displays significant intellectual humility and a willingness to continue exploring more into the future. He doesn't see himself as an expert; more of a collator of the wisdom of others and packaging them into a new and coherent framework.
My only question about the book is whether many may be put off by the metaphor of the brain as a computer (a metaphor that has had lots of criticism, although there are some parallels), and use of technical terms like "algorithms", "psychitecture", "software", etc. If one is willing to dig into the book, these terms are clearly not meant to be taken literally although the excellent diagrams throughout the book do depend on the metaphor being taken seriously.
I really enjoyed the book and there is a lot of valuable wisdom (theory applied to practical living) that will, if practiced, lead to a healthier life -- cognitively, emotionally, and behaviourally.
The author also offers ongoing online resources for those who are interested.
*I received a free review copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The strategies (Bush calls algorithms) are wide-ranging in scope, and they are all amenable to everyday use by everyday people like you and me. There are a lot of notes for each chapter allowing the reader to follow up the sources of the information.
One of the attractive aspects of the book is that the author displays significant intellectual humility and a willingness to continue exploring more into the future. He doesn't see himself as an expert; more of a collator of the wisdom of others and packaging them into a new and coherent framework.
My only question about the book is whether many may be put off by the metaphor of the brain as a computer (a metaphor that has had lots of criticism, although there are some parallels), and use of technical terms like "algorithms", "psychitecture", "software", etc. If one is willing to dig into the book, these terms are clearly not meant to be taken literally although the excellent diagrams throughout the book do depend on the metaphor being taken seriously.
I really enjoyed the book and there is a lot of valuable wisdom (theory applied to practical living) that will, if practiced, lead to a healthier life -- cognitively, emotionally, and behaviourally.
The author also offers ongoing online resources for those who are interested.
*I received a free review copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 8, 2021
This is a pretty good intro into ideas around psychological self-improvement. It pulls from many popular "self-help" books and philosophies such as stoicism, buddhism, taoism, etc. If you are familiar with much of the source material, you will most likely not glean a ton of new information, but it is good to see many of the ideas discussed in the source materials extracted out into somewhat more universal truths.
I would recommend this for folks that are getting into "thinking about your thinking". It may lead to exploring some of the other source works.
Two of the referenced books I highly recommend are Man's Search for Meaning and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
If you enjoyed Designing the Mind, you will probably also enjoy Thinking, Fast and Slow. It explores more logical fallacies and in general how the brain influences your decision making. See also: Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, which is far more interesting and hilarious than a book about economics should be.
There is mention of a website and toolkit that goes along with this book that I have yet to explore. Fortunately it does not seem to have an effect on the book itself. The book stands alone as its own work.
I would recommend this for folks that are getting into "thinking about your thinking". It may lead to exploring some of the other source works.
Two of the referenced books I highly recommend are Man's Search for Meaning and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
If you enjoyed Designing the Mind, you will probably also enjoy Thinking, Fast and Slow. It explores more logical fallacies and in general how the brain influences your decision making. See also: Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, which is far more interesting and hilarious than a book about economics should be.
There is mention of a website and toolkit that goes along with this book that I have yet to explore. Fortunately it does not seem to have an effect on the book itself. The book stands alone as its own work.
July 12, 2020
2020.06.30–2020.07.04
Contents
Designing the Mind (2020) Designing the Mind - The Principles of Psychitecture
Introduction
• Psychitect's Toolkit
• Introduction
01. The Theory and Practice of Psychitecture
• Mind as Machine
• A New Vision of Enlightenment
• Introduction to Psychitecture
• Beginning the Design Process
02. Cognitive Biases and How to Rewire Them
• Cognitive Bias
• Cognitive Debiasing
• Motivated Bias
• Motivational Debiasing
03. Values and the Methods of Introspection
• Do You Want What You Want?
• The Dukkha Bias
• Introspection
• Value Insight
04. Cognitive Self-Mastery and Wisdom
• The Goal Hierarchy
• Effective Navigation
• Decoy Goals
• Defined Goals
05. Emotional Algorithms and the Art of Restructuring
• Regulation
• Mediation
• Reappraisal
• Restructuring
06. Desires and the Keys to Modulating Them
• Changing our Desires
• Modulation Tactics
• Counteraction
• Principles of Modulation
07. Emotional Self-Mastery and Equanimity
• On the Pathologies of Philosophers
• Emotional Algorithms
• • Anger and Hatred
• • Embarrassment and Shame
• • Envy and Schadenfreude
• • Fear, Worry, and Anxiety
• More Emotional Algorithms
• • Grief and Sadness
• • Guilt and Remorse
• • Jealousy and Possessiveness
• • Love, Compassion, and Empathy
• Equanimity
08. Self-Direction and Its Impediments
• Craving
• Compliance
• Comfort
• Corruption
09. Behavioral Algorithms and Self-Control
• Behavior, Self-Control, and Willpower
• Input Design
• Consequence Design
• Goal Design
10. Self-Mastery
• The Self-Mastery Triad
• Self-Slavery
• Software Optimization
• Beyond the Human Condition
Psychitect's Toolkit
References and Recommendations
Contents
Designing the Mind (2020) Designing the Mind - The Principles of Psychitecture
Introduction
• Psychitect's Toolkit
• Introduction
01. The Theory and Practice of Psychitecture
• Mind as Machine
• A New Vision of Enlightenment
• Introduction to Psychitecture
• Beginning the Design Process
02. Cognitive Biases and How to Rewire Them
• Cognitive Bias
• Cognitive Debiasing
• Motivated Bias
• Motivational Debiasing
03. Values and the Methods of Introspection
• Do You Want What You Want?
• The Dukkha Bias
• Introspection
• Value Insight
04. Cognitive Self-Mastery and Wisdom
• The Goal Hierarchy
• Effective Navigation
• Decoy Goals
• Defined Goals
05. Emotional Algorithms and the Art of Restructuring
• Regulation
• Mediation
• Reappraisal
• Restructuring
06. Desires and the Keys to Modulating Them
• Changing our Desires
• Modulation Tactics
• Counteraction
• Principles of Modulation
07. Emotional Self-Mastery and Equanimity
• On the Pathologies of Philosophers
• Emotional Algorithms
• • Anger and Hatred
• • Embarrassment and Shame
• • Envy and Schadenfreude
• • Fear, Worry, and Anxiety
• More Emotional Algorithms
• • Grief and Sadness
• • Guilt and Remorse
• • Jealousy and Possessiveness
• • Love, Compassion, and Empathy
• Equanimity
08. Self-Direction and Its Impediments
• Craving
• Compliance
• Comfort
• Corruption
09. Behavioral Algorithms and Self-Control
• Behavior, Self-Control, and Willpower
• Input Design
• Consequence Design
• Goal Design
10. Self-Mastery
• The Self-Mastery Triad
• Self-Slavery
• Software Optimization
• Beyond the Human Condition
Psychitect's Toolkit
References and Recommendations
January 18, 2023
I liked this book a lot.
Especially the last chapter on self-mastery, which by itself made reading the book very much worth it.
I totally recommend it.
I liked the analogy to programming and algorithms with how to optimize our minds. To think of the mind as a software that we can enhance. Although I did disagree with specific claims in the book that don’t match my worldview, but I overlooked those assumptions in favor of other benefits I was gaining from the book.
The book mainly talks about focusing on optimizing our minds as a goal in itself rather than for external gains, and that’s a nice precept in itself although highly familiar to me personally from theological literature.
Also, I already was conscious of the idea of turning the problems we deal with in life into something like algorithms and problem-solving them rather than indulging in them emotionally, but not to the exact specificity to how this book approached it which I liked very much.
This book intends to create such algorithms, but it does not do so entirely. It begins doing that through ancient wisdom and logic.
Eventually and according to the book everyone can input their findings on the best mind optimization methods to develop the system further. It’s an ongoing process.
I think the book’s idea is brilliant but it’s also in its infancy. Would be great to see how this idea could be developed further.
Anyway, it’s a pretty cool book overall.
Especially the last chapter on self-mastery, which by itself made reading the book very much worth it.
I totally recommend it.
I liked the analogy to programming and algorithms with how to optimize our minds. To think of the mind as a software that we can enhance. Although I did disagree with specific claims in the book that don’t match my worldview, but I overlooked those assumptions in favor of other benefits I was gaining from the book.
The book mainly talks about focusing on optimizing our minds as a goal in itself rather than for external gains, and that’s a nice precept in itself although highly familiar to me personally from theological literature.
Also, I already was conscious of the idea of turning the problems we deal with in life into something like algorithms and problem-solving them rather than indulging in them emotionally, but not to the exact specificity to how this book approached it which I liked very much.
This book intends to create such algorithms, but it does not do so entirely. It begins doing that through ancient wisdom and logic.
Eventually and according to the book everyone can input their findings on the best mind optimization methods to develop the system further. It’s an ongoing process.
I think the book’s idea is brilliant but it’s also in its infancy. Would be great to see how this idea could be developed further.
Anyway, it’s a pretty cool book overall.
September 27, 2021
I was a little skeptical going in, as I had never heard of psychitecture. However, it's a well-written and well-researched book about how to re-wire your brain so that you can improve your response to your circumstances, ultimately leading to more flourishing. I didn't agree with everything, especially in areas where the author's pragmatic and naturalistic worldview was more evident as the basis for wisdom and behavior, but it was an interesting read and provided new ways of thinking about formation and habits.
These are some of my distilled take-aways:
- Pay attention to your biases and desires to only find evidence to support what you already believe.
- Spending time alone reflecting is one of the most essential parts to a healthy life. It’s here that you can reflect and possibly re-align your desires, by setting goals (and eventually habits) that are in line with your values, with the person that you want to become.
- While you can’t always control your circumstances, you can work on your responses to those circumstances. Learning to be content with your circumstances and finding more ways to be grateful lead are keys to happiness and life satisfaction.
- Everything you do, everything you read, everything you consume, and people you surround yourself with are shaping who you become. So, plan accordingly.
These are some of my distilled take-aways:
- Pay attention to your biases and desires to only find evidence to support what you already believe.
- Spending time alone reflecting is one of the most essential parts to a healthy life. It’s here that you can reflect and possibly re-align your desires, by setting goals (and eventually habits) that are in line with your values, with the person that you want to become.
- While you can’t always control your circumstances, you can work on your responses to those circumstances. Learning to be content with your circumstances and finding more ways to be grateful lead are keys to happiness and life satisfaction.
- Everything you do, everything you read, everything you consume, and people you surround yourself with are shaping who you become. So, plan accordingly.
July 11, 2021
If I could only have read one book in 2021 this would have been it.
It's extremely well researched and written, and manages to contain many of the practical elements of psychology and philosophy in one medium length volume.
This book contains the best case for self mastery, self discipline and habit regulation that I've ever seen and manages to provide practical knowledge in each chapter. All this is bundled with enough theory backed up by good sources to convince you that the information is solid.
The structure made it easy to follow, in particular I love the inclusion of dot point summaries at the end of each chapter, and the use of a diagram that represents the structure of the entire book - much like those huge maps you get in a fantasy book.
Overall my top book for 2021 thus far, highly recommended for anyone into philosophy, psychology or self development.
It's extremely well researched and written, and manages to contain many of the practical elements of psychology and philosophy in one medium length volume.
This book contains the best case for self mastery, self discipline and habit regulation that I've ever seen and manages to provide practical knowledge in each chapter. All this is bundled with enough theory backed up by good sources to convince you that the information is solid.
The structure made it easy to follow, in particular I love the inclusion of dot point summaries at the end of each chapter, and the use of a diagram that represents the structure of the entire book - much like those huge maps you get in a fantasy book.
Overall my top book for 2021 thus far, highly recommended for anyone into philosophy, psychology or self development.
May 18, 2021
Where do I even start with such a great book? I browsed over the table of content and got really excited about the things the author was ready to share with me. I’m fascinated by the concept of psychitecture, it’s something for individuals who are excited by the idea of overcoming seemingly fixed parts of themselves.
The references to software engineering were smart, they gave a visual cue to what the author believes to be the systems of the mind.
It’s the kind of summary I’ve been waiting for. References to mindfulness, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology and goal setting, backed by extensive research and references to minds like Nietzsche, Jung, and Aurelius.
I took many notes, storing the lessons for future reference. Definitely one of my favourites this year.
The references to software engineering were smart, they gave a visual cue to what the author believes to be the systems of the mind.
It’s the kind of summary I’ve been waiting for. References to mindfulness, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology and goal setting, backed by extensive research and references to minds like Nietzsche, Jung, and Aurelius.
I took many notes, storing the lessons for future reference. Definitely one of my favourites this year.
July 30, 2021
This book is a great collection of timeless wisdom and principles. It views our mind as a collection of interconnected algorithms based on how our cognition, behaviour, emotions, desires, conscious and and unconscious thought patterns interact. It invites the reader to explore various mental models, philosophy and truths to aim to improve our mind which will eventually lead to more happy life with less suffering. The graphs and examples with algorithmic representation could be further improved to justify and expand the concept. Overall a good read and thanks to the Ryan for giving me this opportunity to read it. [reading time: 8h53m]
April 28, 2021
This book offers a useful framework for how to view and optimize your mind. It's basically a left-brained approach to the sort of enlightenment that people like Eckhart Tolle and Alan Watts argue is possible. It's a much more interactive theory than simply "letting go of your desires," to grossly oversimplify the new age ideology. That self-interaction is what makes it so empowering. This book is fantastic, well worth a read.
May 5, 2021
I have been in the seeking to understand how our body, emotion, mind, soul work together and practical ways to improve those collaborations. This book by far the most fulfilling one I found on that quest.
I am working on upgrading me. This book helps!
I also believe in the author's setting this book as the first foundation. There will be flow comming!
I am working on upgrading me. This book helps!
I also believe in the author's setting this book as the first foundation. There will be flow comming!
May 17, 2021
I didn't particularly like the organization of the content. I had a hard time finding new information although if it was laid out better perhaps I would have found it. I am a software developer so I would have expected to have liked this book
July 10, 2021
(I have to reread this...)
April 10, 2024
even though the actionable takeaways are really similar to Atomic Habits, understanding cognitive distortions is really helpful. Didn't know much about the underlying reasons for why things like habit construction can make such a difference. Biggest takeaway was that you are a product of your environment, so choose wisely.
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