If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered why we feel so much pressure to find a 'calling' at work, and how did our ancestors view their daily labor differently?
- Did you know that our modern obsession with finding a 'soulmate' is actually a historical anomaly that could be sabotaging your relationships?
- What if the secret to a more meaningful life isn’t in the latest self-help trend, but in the forgotten wisdom of how people lived centuries ago?
Listen to How Should We Live? — Free Audiobook
Loading player...
Key Takeaways from How Should We Live?
- Discover how studying the everyday lives of ordinary people from history provides valuable templates for navigating our fast-paced modern world.
- Understand why the modern romantic expectation of a single soulmate is historically flawed, and learn to fulfill your diverse emotional needs using the six ancient Greek forms of love.
- Uncover the surprising historical roots behind modern domestic struggles, from the post-Industrial division of gendered housework to the cultural habits that silence family dinners.
- Realize that humans are intrinsically empathetic rather than naturally selfish, backed by scientific evidence showing how empathy helped our ancestors build surviving communities.
- Learn how to actively broaden your horizons and cultivate deep empathy by applying the historical templates of immersive experience, meaningful conversation, and social action.
How Should We Live? — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: The modern romantic notion of a soul mate doesn’t work in real life.
Chapter 3: The challenges facing today’s families have deep historical origins.
Chapter 4: Human beings are naturally empathetic, and we can use this to widen our horizons.
Chapter 5: Even with today’s bewildering range of careers, we can still discover purpose in our work.
Chapter 6: Modern people are fixated on time and ruled by the clock’s beat, but it hasn’t always been this way.
Chapter 7: Money might keep the world turning, but our attitude toward it is up to us.
Chapter 8: Our senses define how we perceive reality, and we likely have more than the traditional five.
Chapter 9: Traveling is a powerful way to discover yourself and the world, and four traveler types can guide us.
Chapter 10: Our bond with nature has shifted greatly over time, yet we remain mentally tied to it, if not physically.
Chapter 11: Our convictions are usually passed down to us, yet we ought to be ready to question them.
Chapter 12: We mistakenly think creativity is unteachable, yet it’s a vital self-expression open to everyone.
Chapter 13: Nowadays, death is shrouded in taboo, but in the past it wasn’t – and to fully live, we must face it.
How Should We Live? Summary & Overview
How Should We Live? (2013) gives a wide-lense view of why we Westerners tend to think the way we do. From love to work to death, it explains how our modern-day views evolved, and offers some age-old advice on how we might improve them.
Who Should Listen to How Should We Live??
- People looking for a historical take on lifestyle advice
- Anyone interested in the roots of our cultural preconceptions
- General-knowledge buffs after a little extra history
Books Similar to How Should We Live?
Readers who enjoyed this also liked these titles.
How to Live a Good Life
★ 4.3 / 5 • 477 ratingsA Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
How to Find Fulfilling Work
★ 4.2 / 5 • 102 ratingsThe School of Life
How to Live
★ 4.6 / 5 • 217 ratingsWhat the Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning, and Community
A Guide to the Good Life
★ 4.6 / 5 • 375 ratingsThe Ancient Art of Stoic Joy