The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

2023-11-27 2 min read Sincheenz

Like his other book, “4000 Weeks”, the author has managed to convey intensive and thought-provoking concepts with levity and humor. The book starts off by poking fun at motivational speakers and explains, through funny anecdotes, the consequences of trying to avoid negative thoughts and only thinking positively. It moves on to explaining Stoicism and why embracing the negative would be far easier than avoiding it. This was something new to me, and it did make sense. The author suggests that when you think positively all the time, you will get into a comfortable state, and how can one wish to make any change? Once again, like in his other book, the author stresses the importance of focusing on the present. “Would you be able to express what exactly is bothering you at this current moment without making any reference to the past or future?”

Sometimes, we forget this. There is nothing we can do to change what has already happened. Of course, we can influence what might happen in the future through our current actions, but there are so many factors beyond our control that can alter that as well.

Overall, it has been an interesting read. It covered a wide range of topics: Stoicism, Buddhism, Vipassana Meditation, Memento Mori, and more. It was a bit overwhelming, but I enjoyed it all the same.