Philosophy Now Forum

The book that began to change the way I think was Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung. I read it when I was about 30 something and realised that people are often the victims of being misjudged by others.

Literary works also express philosophical or psychological views, but indirectly.

A certain St Aubyn, whose book "Mother´s Milk" I read by chance recently, changed my views about what the English appreciate and what they dislike, a little bit. "Authenticity" was a concept relatively surprising to me in this context. For instance, Patrick Melrose did not appreciate an American waitress playing a theatre of friendliness and thus being fake and not authentic.
Would he appreciate more if she were blunt ?
I once heard a polite English waiter asking: Any sauces at all ? Would it be considered authentic or inauthentic by Mr Melrose ?

I always thought the English were world champions of inauthenticity, and therefore so good at being diplomatic.

Now I am confused and struggling with a dilemma.

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William James' seminal classic, THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE, immensely broadened my perspective on the phenomenon of religion. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/moden ... mVari.html

Martha Stout: "A sociopath next door", made me realize that some people belong to a different species. Any time someone makes a particularly charming impression the possibility of his being a psychopath comes to my mind.

D. F. Wallace: "Infinite Jest".
What addiction is all about and how AA is supposed to work to make you free from it.