The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety Paperback – February 8, 2011

Looks good , on my to read list.

In 1951, Alan Watts wrote about the increasing pace of life and the challenges to maintain one's moorings in turbulent times. If only he were around today to see what has happened recent years and to comment accordingly! Perhaps he would give similar advice, as his principles should not be subject to the current events or fashion.His two main themes from my perspective, at least in the first half that I found much more enlightening, were that humans do not need traditional religion and that humans should not fight anxiety. In the first case, his analysis is not that science has solved everything, a topic lively today and likely to continue as a perpetual debate. It is more that the human soul can find nourishment and understanding in other ways, and does not need the tenets of religion to make life whole. He does, however, concede that belief has been undermined by the ceaseless march of human intelligence, while claiming that the coldly intellectual angle often leaves the human soul unsatisfied. Mystery helps feed the mind and spirit.Mr. Watts' insights on anxiety as the necessary complement to freedom and pleasure were particularly succinct and sharp. A favorite quote is, "If, then, we are to be fully human and fully alive and aware, it seems that we must be willing to suffer for our pleasures. Without such willingness there can be no growth in the intensity of consciousness. Yet, generally speaking, we are not willing, and it may be thought strange to suppose that we can be. For 'nature in us' so rebels against pain that the very notion of 'willingness' to put up with it beyond a certain point may appear impossible and meaningless."Under these circumstances, the life that we live is a contradiction and a conflict. Because consciousness must involve both pleasure and pain, to strive for pleasure to the exclusion of pain is, in effect, to strive for the loss of consciousness. Because such a loss is in principle the same as death, this means that the more we struggle for life (as pleasure), the more we are actually killing what we love."Well stated, obviously, and that is one of many. I endorse the modest length of the book, its lack of deep theological argument, and light touch on Eastern thought. Those topics are best served in other works dedicated to the proper depth and sophistication.I especially recommend a look back at Mr. Watts with the wave of anti-religion books by Hitchens, et al. Read them and compare to Alan Watts.

This is an amazing book for 1951. Watts is probably one of the clearst writers dealing with the indescribable I have ever read. In this book he deals with the major teachings of Buddhism including the first 3 of the noble truth, impermanence, no self and dependent origination without a single word of jargon. He is able to relate these teachings in a meaningful way to the daily life and concerns of a person living in a western culture with poise clarity and some beautiful if sometimes ruthless turns of phrase. No doubt a very important book that has had nowhere near the attention it deserves, a real pity that few were interested since he was pointing to the inevitability of the bind the west now finds itself in. Now that the publishing industry and the professional "psychobabblers" are on the Buddhism/mindfulness wagon, here is a dependable reference that puts all their gloss and marketing panache to shame with pure content; not a wasted self congratulatory word in it anywhere. It's a must read ... and now I will pursue everything I can get my hands on that has come from this brilliant man.

I know that had Alan Watts been live, and had he seen the title of this review, he would have possible stomped his foot on the ground or even slapped me into my senses while saying: "BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT."And I understand why he would say that. I understood (albeit not perfectly) the message that he is trying to pass on. Watts is the most Eastern Westerner I know. His philosophies, particularly in this book, can lead into a metaphysical web that could leave you stuck indefinitely. At this same time, if you peel back the philosophical layers, which he helps you do at times, you will notice that the message, at its core, is always simple. He is begging the reader not to eliminate the ego, but to come to a full realization, a hyper awareness of sorts, that there is NO ego - that the ego, or the "I," is simply a figment of imagination. There is no method to achieve this hyper-awareness, no guide, no set of instructions, but only this imperative: "Look!"I may be just a tad bit too simplistic to fully grasp the significance of this, but I believe that at times I caught a glimpse of the implications of Watt's message. To live perfectly in the moment, to understand that the experience and the "experiencer" are one in the same just as a wave is not part of the ocean, but is the ocean, all of it - I can begin to fathom how one would be able to shed so much pretense and predispositions. Or not, I don't know.My personal opinion is that there are gems in this book, but as it is with all things, anything in excess is harmful. This book sells Eastern thought in its entirety, and I believe that no, Alan Watt's does not have the answer to the meaning of life (which he would probably agree to me saying) and I don't think you'll find in this book all the answers to your questions. It is a refreshing read though, at least it was for me. I really had to break down my mind, my prejudices, my perceptions and realize that my reality is truly the product of my own mind - and that I can change that, if I want to.In any case, a worthy read, but definitely not a book if you're looking for "10 Ways to Reduce Anxiety." It is rather an exhortation to awareness.

My favorite of Alan Watts books thus far. I have read it at least 5 times. Mr. Watts had an incredible gift for explaining the unexplainable. I am eternally grateful for his translations of Zen Buddhism to the western world.