Ligotti speaks a truth that most people simply can't handle.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

8 ай бұрын

I think you’re right there.

I wasn't particularly blown away or disturbed by the book, it was just a concise and clear affirmation of the same ideas I'd had for most of my life. Ligotti was able to phrase them in a way that I never could. I see this work as ultimately more positive than negative. Once the illusions have been ripped away and you've truly accepted how pointless and meaningless your existence truly is, then the path to true self-knowledge will open itself to you.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it doesn’t really tell you anything you don’t already know. But phrases like: Consciousness-nature’s biggest blunder. And: Malignantly useless, really hit it home.

@CrypticCurrent

11 ай бұрын

Agreed

@SLATEcaps

8 ай бұрын

Same.

@Unmaleable

8 ай бұрын

That was the scary part for me is how much the ideas resonated with everything I've already felt for years. It was just phrased in such a way that made it more clear and impactful. As someone who was indoctrinated into Christianity as a kid, the reference about God being so bored and unneeded he no longer wanted to exist, killed himself and birthed the universe passing down that same trait to us. Eventually, at some point we also want to leave existence and that's totally normal.

@NoiseDayForCats0

7 ай бұрын

I wonder if the people who find themselves disturbed by the book are those who cope using Isolation the way Zapffe describes it? Apologies if this is a trite observation; I’m new to philosophy 😅

I actually listen to this book while I go to sleep, it calms me down and puts me at ease. Verbalized and validated thoughts I've had for years now. I actually don't recommend reading it in the morning because its a downer, but at night, if you're of a melancholic persuasion, its like a brain message. Books like these aren't for everybody, and I guess I feel a bit of pride that I'm one of the few who've independently come to this brutal fact about life: that we are in hell.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

I think it takes a certain amount of intelligence, and above all, honesty and integrity, to see the truth. It goes against all of our instincts, and it requires strength to stare the truth in the face.

@hillaryclinton1232

Жыл бұрын

@Hans Frankfurter I also listen to Ligotti's to sleep, at 73 years I am vendecated by Ligotti's pessimistic reading

@hansfrankfurter2903

Жыл бұрын

@@hillaryclinton1232 My man!

@bibliothecariousoccultorum

10 ай бұрын

I don't know why but this book brings me calmness and sometimes makes me smile. Just ordered Emil M. Cioran's book "The Trouble with Being Born" because some of the quotes I heard from it, just made me straight up laugh 😂.

@NoiseDayForCats0

7 ай бұрын

I’m glad I’m not the only one! I’ve been going to sleep listening to the audiobook for the last three months and it’s been a great comfort. The narration by Eric Martin is brilliant and a perfect companion to Ligotti’s prose. He’s such a talented narrator

I keep a copy by my bed, to look up comforting passages when I feel distressed during the dark hours. Kind of like the Gideon Bible.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Dean Rao Ligotti has described this book as a self help book. Maybe he’s right.

@nigelcarruthers335

3 жыл бұрын

I also find it comforting before bed. The more darker and desolate, the better.

@kimyunmi452

2 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn yes..next to my bed i got schopenhauer's on the sufferings of the world and on the vanity of existence...my daily consolation before i go to sleep.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

@@kimyunmi452 Are you from Vietnam?

@kimyunmi452

2 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn no..i am from korea.

There is no going back after reading this book. No true going back, at least.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Bruno Moura That’s the scariest thing about it. It kind of plants a seed in you.

@brunomoura8816

4 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn He succeeds in disabling the defenses mechanisms: isolation, distraction, anchoring and sublimation. One thing that stands out for me is also our framework, we function in a: being alive is all right mode. But after you read, and eventually we get distract and bla bla bla, someday we will see someone talking about life or any other scenario, and will remember: is being alive all right? I think that is the seed you are talking about. And by the way, another suggestion for you to read: A Feeling of Wrongness, by Joseph Packer.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Bruno Moura I’ll put this book on my list, Bruno, and if I review it I’ll mention you in the video.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

It's really the most horrific thing he's written. It stays with you long after you've read it in a depressing, nihilism-inducing way. Its contents are a sobering reminder because it feels like the truth. Its only benefit is a transient comfort for those who have lost or never had an optimistic existential outloook.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

It’s the one book that sticks with me the most.

One consequence of this book is antinatalism, which I totally agree with. ANTINATALISM: Because non existence never hurt anyone.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

The new video is up and running, James. I've just published it!

@hider1488

3 жыл бұрын

Say someone with baby on profile eh

@MustObeyTheRules

2 жыл бұрын

@@hider1488 I feel incredibly bad for every baby I see.

@johnmitchell8925

2 жыл бұрын

@@MustObeyTheRules I agree

ATTENTION all subscribers/viewers: Due to the large amount of interest that this video has generated, I have decided to make a second, more in-depth study of ‘The Conspiracy against the Human Race’. The video will be up on here on 8th of AUGUST!The new video will include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy, so watch this space and stay tuned!

Self deceiving is the first step to happiness.

I agree with this book. I agree that consciousness is a terrible thing because without consciousness there is no suffering. Therefore I agree that existence is a terrible and dangerous thing.

I brought the "Conspiracy against the Human Race" to the attention of my book group with a caveat, "Do not read this if you are depressed, or down. I read it with rapt attention and yet would not read it at night, or before bed. Try to read it on a sunny afternoon when filled with zest for life." Otherwise DO NOT read it, seriously, it is that deep and that dangerous to one' mental health. Enjoy !

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I couldn’t agree more. Although I don’t think there’s any good time to read it. If you’re in a good mood, your mood will descend rapidly. I wonder whether anyone’s committed suicide after reading it?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@LawrenceEsq

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn I look forward to reading your review

@averagechad7275

2 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn most likely someone has I’m depressed so I probably shouldn’t read this book and I’m younger too

@Unmaleable

8 ай бұрын

Eh, yeah I listened to the audio book at my lowest point and it was scary how comfortable it made me with going ahead and jumping ship. Honestly more seriously considering doing it now without the fear. But at the same time my conspiracy brain tells me this book is a psyop written by the CIA to convince Poor Joe Blow to finally jump ship. It's written too much like philosophy books from the late 1800s even some of the verbiage. Almost like it was written by Ai mimicking old philosophers from another era. I'd have to hear this all coming directly from Thomas's mouth believe he wrote this alone.

Great summary of the book. I read this while being depressed and it completely changed me. Maybe you did it as a conscious choice but to my taste you do not have to hold the book up for the whole video. I subscribed hoping for more of these dark reads.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

I’m glad you enjoyed it. And yes, it is quite weird that I held the book up like that. I don’t know what I was thinking. I recently did a review for Peter Zapffe, by the way. The man who’s mentioned a lot in this book.

Thanks a lot. I am gonna buy and read this book. Sounds a lot like my old times favorites Cioran and Schopenhauer...

Great review man, thanks, this was a big inspiration for the writer of True Detective (the first season) Nic Pizzolatto. Really nailed it in the show too.

The quicker the human race disappears the better for the planet. We have doomed ourselves with greed, apathy and selfishness.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

I hope you’re wrong, but I don’t think you are.

I think the truth or reality catches up to you as you get older and your body starts to fall apart and you realize it's only gonna get worse till someday you won't be able to take care of yourself and, or your in chronic pain and your losing the ability to do the things that made this life worth living in.Why some people have the ability to commit self murder while other can't is still a Mystery to me

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

It takes a lot of courage to commit suicide, in my opinion. It goes against all human instincts.

I like your review and channel. I don't disagree with Ligotti much but what is the solution? The things he mentions on pages 31, 32? They don't satisfy. PS, what do you think of H.P. Lovecraft?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Arkham Reporter Hi there. Thanks for subscribing. I spend pretty much every day of my life despairing over the tragedy of life, but there’s nothing much we can do other than try to enjoy each day as much as we can. Even though I despair at life, I also marvel at the fact that we exist against all odds. As for Lovecraft, I’ve only read ‘Rats in the Walls’, but it didn’t impress me much. I might give it a re-read one day maybe.

@ArkhamReporter

4 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Agreed on enjoying each day but we should try avoid hedonism as a solution. You should perhaps give Lovecraft another shot. "Rats" isn't the ideal story to convey what he is really about. But there is a reason why Ligotti mentions him so often.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

yes, we can enjoy our existence by means of wishful thinking and, that is what most people do. they just cover their eyes and repeat over and over again, life is wonderful, life is beautiful and we not only have the right but we must also impose existence onto others for no rational reason at all.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

nothing Pessimism is against the law, more or less. Life is frightening.

Seven & half minutes you held that book aloft well done sir I salute your strength -book sounds a complete hoot! Glad you like existing -me too it’s really not that bad

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching.

@remotefaith

Жыл бұрын

Not that bad… for you personally and so far

Do you have any theories as to why, out of all the books you have reviewed, this and "Better Never To Have Been" have garnered the most views on your channel?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

NeverTethered I think these two books have the most views because a kind of cult has formed from them. They are very similar in what they espouse, and the ideas have a lot in common. I don’t think it says much about the population en masse, I just think that a certain niche sector of society searches for them on here.

@nevertethered6386

4 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Thanks for your reply. I am inclined to think the same

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@nevertethered6386

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Thanks for the info. I have just about finished reading the book myself so very much looking forward to hearing a more in depth view from your perspective.

@JamesEdwardTracy

3 жыл бұрын

@@nevertethered6386 Count me in too!

I am currently reading the book but I keep thinking that there is way too much beauty on earth to say that we are just blind chance. How is it that conditions are so perfect to accommodate humans? Oxygen levels, climate, gravity, only to name a few of hundreds of examples. Intelligent design, God, there is a reason we exist. The earth is too beautiful to claim anything evil created it or it just came into existence randomly. Too many things aligned perfectly, otherwise we couldn’t survive. Something made earth inhabitable specifically for humans.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 күн бұрын

You are falling victim to a classic error of perception. Of course the conditions here on Earth are perfect for us-we evolved in line with them! There are other planets in the universe that have oceans of liquid methane instead of water. If alien life forms evolve on those planets, the conditions on those planets will be perfect for the aliens. That doesn’t mean that a god made everything, it just means that they evolved bodily systems in line with their environment.

I havent read the book, but I am familiar with all of these concepts, and Im kind of confused. The thing is while the concept that one day we will die is certainly always present, the idea that our brains don't think about death until it looks probable in the immediate future, at which point we start freaking out, actually makes us no different from animals as far as I can tell. Even insects are like that.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

11 ай бұрын

I don’t think insects are capable of contemplating the future and death.

Good overview, I have the book sitting there on the shelf unread for 2 years now. Just not ready for it. I may or may not review it - if and when I ever read it. Ligotti can produce some extreme comments. I wondered if you ever had to delete any ?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Well, I’m not in the habit of deleting comments if I don’t like them, but the book certainly seems to have a cult following. This is one of the most viewed videos on my channel. And it does cause something to die inside of you. It offers you something you can’t unlearn. Be careful.

First found out about this author from True Detective. Currently reading the book and enjoying/agreeing with each and every page.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

It’s hard to dispute.

@StoicLegionIX

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Definitely. The book has been extremely enlightening to it all. Always felt the character of Rust as myself in terms of beliefs, and Ligotti has helped find the meaning in it all. Cheers

The problem with theories which are basically “existence is so horrible that you have to deny reality” is that they are unfalsifiable. The only responses you can give “prove” the theory correct. You either agree with the theory, or you challenge it, in which case Ligotti could just say “well yes, you would challenge my idea because you’re in denial”. That’s why arguments like this seem so powerful. They are impossible to disprove. They essentially say “anyone who disagrees with this idea is proving my idea correct because the person challenging it is in denial”. The other part which I have a problem with is that whilst it’s certainly undeniable that we will die, the argument that death is terrible is, to me at least, illogical. Yes we fear death, but that’s because my physiology and psychology have programmed me to fear death. However, the state of BEING dead isn’t actually bad. It’s really difficult to truly appreciate this. When we think about death it feels like this horrifying almost supernatural enemy, but when you strip away the fear, what exactly are you scared of? If you subscribe to the atheistic eternal oblivion theory of death then logically you will never actually experience it. You’ll never know you’re dead. It’s unpleasant to think about your future death, but at the same time you won’t actually be aware of it. A lot of these theories around death (e.g. Ernest Becker, Terror Management Theory etc.) claim that fear is the source of our reaction to the inevitability of death, and I don’t disagree that it is PART of the problem, but there is also the fact that permanent non-existence is, for lack of a better phrase, really f*cking confusing to a living conscious being. We can’t process it. Finally, I know that this is a bit of strawman, and doesn’t actually prove him wrong, but I can see that Ligotti himself is in his late 60s. It seems to me somewhat hypocritical for someone to be proposing species wide extinction when they don’t even practice this at an individual level. No matter how horrible Mr Ligotti thinks existence is, there something in it to keep him going for almost 7 decades. I know that he argues that suicide is easier said than done, and I do agree. However, if you truly and genuinely believed that non-existence was preferable to existence wouldn’t you have downed a bottle of whisky to get over the instinctive defence mechanisms and ended your existence swiftly?

I think deliverance is forever non existence after we die, no reincarnation, no afterlife.

How did Thomas Ligotti pop up on your radar?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 ай бұрын

Through searching for horror fiction stories.

Would also like to say that having antinatalist views does not preclude you from parenthood. Adoption and foster care are real and intellectually honest ways to be a parent to a child.

I gave thumb up to the author of this video at about half length because he, at least, had the guts to review such a 'dark' masterpiece. Then at 08:31 he showed up his pueril 'optimism bias' (one of the 3 human defense mechanisms well explained in 'the last Messiah' by Peter Wessel Zapffe) missing out the point of antinatalism all together. I'm an antinatalist (got vasectomy) and enjoy life a lot, like a true Epicurean. But I will not impose the necessarily suffering game of life to someone else who hasn't been asked his own opinion. Have a great life but don't pull forcibly someone else into such a dangerous adventure💙

One of the most virulently dangerous books I've ever read. I really enjoyed it but i kept having feelings like in the wrong hands it would be truly dangerous to certain people. Never mind the necronomicon, this is a real and truly dangerous tome.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

I think about this book most days. I love the honesty of it. I love the way he boldly mentions the taboo that most people shy away from.

@Unmaleable

8 ай бұрын

Yes, someone else also shared the same expression. This book can be extremely dangerous in the hands of someone thinking about jumping ship. I was honestly freaked out by how comfortable it made me with the idea after just 1 hour of listening. It was a comforting surprise....I only read the book because I saw cool artwork on it. Had no clue it was going to be life changing. Even if I don't do myself in, it's still made me view other problems in a different and more positive light, being in short...things don't really matter as much as you think.

@Unmaleable

8 ай бұрын

@killsims Totally agree. All though the book stoked less concern over exiting I dont belive I am 100% at that point of making an exit. Whats the name of the self deliverance book? Tbh I can see the adverse side of this sort of literature in the sense that, once you totally find reasoning to exit...why even do it? It doesn't matter in the long run anyways. Which I'm guessing would be the utmost nihilistic view maybe?

@Andreas-hp3se

8 ай бұрын

​@@killsims @Unmaleable I think for me personally I find some solidarity and solace in literature about this sort of thing. It helps identify and give shape to feelings that are otherwise completely abstract. I think that those feelings are more "dangerous" in the abstract, at least for me. It's those moments of quiet nameless desperation that have historically felt the most risky. The more shape it has the better my defenses, know your enemy and all that. I don't think the overall takeaway from the book is that you ought to off yourself. If anything I think the book acknowledges pretty readily that that's not really the human way to go. I think the book is more kind of like a cry for conversation in a world that refuses to talk about certain things. Honestly, if we talked more freely about a whole lot more things this species would be better off as a whole. Instead we are dogmatized into silence about cornerstones of life.

Great review. I'm an ardent anti-natalist and this book is still tough for me to read. Just unrelentingly bleak.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I tell you what, Ryan, it really sinks into your bones. It’s scarier than any horror novel could ever be.

@ryanxvx

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn 100%! And I've seen numerous people say once you read it you can't go back. I agree with you that we still have a choice about whether or not to enjoy being alive, but the book certainly does a number on you.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

@@ryanxvx it certainly does.

Sometimes I ask myself if I didnt really came to become an antinatalist , pessimist ans a Nihilist just by pure logic ? I remember always I cared less about loosing things that other kids would die over I always knew Im not that scared of death Maybe I never had a certain part of my brain that push a man to move forward (not saying its bad) But at that point is it fair for me to ask other to be like me But anyways this book and many other things convinced me that Im not the only one atleast 🤔 Still idk ☹️

A dog may not foreshadow, but I've seen them holding on at the end,afraid,clinging to life, fighting death off on the vets table..

@AuthorJamesFlynn

9 ай бұрын

Yes, but they probably just react to the present moment.

should be required reading in all schools

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

For potential parents.

so what will happen when science finally concurs immortality or your conscious transfer to another body/computer/simulation? Is the whole point that we're gonna die one day? kinda obvious..

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Life would still be kind of pointless, but it would eradicate the inexorable march towards frailness and death.

Thanks for the review. I just put this book in my Walmart shopping cart.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

James Tracy Approach it with caution, James. And by the way: I’ll be posting another, in-depth review of this book on 8th of August. Don’t miss it!

I can't help but smile when i read it.

Review a Short history of decay by Emil Cioran. Different type of pessimist and presentation.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Fanu lui Cioran nr 1 Xd I’ll look into that. Thank you.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@fanuluiciorannr1xd212

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this news. Ligotti is a modern titan of pessimism. I'm glad that he carriers the touch down the line. His work has a huge impact on the reader.

I am against existence and life is not wonderful.

Nice review. Been a long time since I've read it, but I have been planning to pick it up again. I remember liking it, but yes, its pretty dark. I always wondered if some of it came from him being a horror writer, and writing about reality like a horror story was kind of a stylized choice, but a lot of the things make sense so who knows.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Well, it's certainly portrayed as being his real views on life. It's quite possibly the most disturbing book I've ever read.

@Svankmajer

4 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn True. I'm not saying its not his real views, but who knows. I just sometime get the feeling he likes to be disturbing. If you read his fictional stuff its like that too. I actually talked to him once per mail. He said many of the publishers who would be interested in his horrorwork wasn't interested in this one. Nine Banded Books is kind of unique in that sense. I don't know any other publisher who publishes books of this kind.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Andreas Moss You actually spoke to him? That’s quite impressive; I’ve heard he’s very elusive. I’m not particularly a fan of the prose in this book, I think it could’ve been written a lot more clearly, but...wow! It certainly gets under your skin. It seems to have a huge cult following, too.

@Svankmajer

4 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Yeah, he used to be so elusive people speculated he didn't exist, but he does. He also has a forum where he sometimes appears as "YellowJester". I stumbled upon him because I was part of a team trying to get Peter Wessel Zapffe's work translated to english and he's a big fan of Zapffe and tried getting his work translated himself. (His book was dedicated to Zapffe.) I recommend the book Born To Fear, which is an interview compilation with him. A lot of the interviews are pretty interesting, although I can understand his ideas might be too dark for some people.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

Ligotti is a treasure!

In my opinion, the perfect philosophical responses to Ligotti are Stoicism and Absurdism/Existentialism since they start where his premise leaves off. Now, you might say that according to him, that is only us being pulled by the strings of a philosophical outlook, perhaps even an ideology. But in that case then even his own book would contradict itself, since it itself is attempting to be *the* philosophical position or ideology we all don’t even know we’re driven by. Just another set of strings attached to us marionettes.

@superZEROKID

4 жыл бұрын

Though I haven’t read this work, I’m interested to dig into it myself.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

I think you’re right about stoicism and absurdism, yes. However, Ligotti‘s ideas are way more pessimistic than anything else I’ve seen. And yes, he’d probably see any helpful mode of thought as another string or method of self-deception. It’s quite a dangerous book in the sense that it gets under your skin, and you can’t unlearn its teachings. One criticism of mine, however, is the prose. His vocabulary is very esoteric, and it feels as though he doesn’t care whether you understand the sentences or not.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@superZEROKID

3 жыл бұрын

James Flynn nice! Looking forward to it

I used to think exactly like Ligotti when I was 9 until 14 years of age and became aware of my own mortality. Since then, I have been learning how to accept the human condition and it has been taking me a lifetime but I am reaching peace of mind finally.

@Unmaleable

8 ай бұрын

It can be scary having a near death experience or such pain you feel like it's near death. In that moment our will to live kicks in. That is because we aren't here to just eat, fart, and die....we're here to reproduce which is a form of self preservation, as is getting scared when you think you are seriously about to die. Some near death experiences are peaceful and some are trauma inducing.

•The 3 marks of existence Everything is suffering, impermanence, and non self,, •Suffering - all living beings suffer in different ways, mental and physical suffering, mental suffering like stress, depression, worry, etc. and physical suffering like disease, skin or organs problems, wounds, etc... •Impermanence - nothing last forever except change, everything or everyone will die or will change, like people, house, plants, possession, gadgets, perspective etc... •No self - everything is made out of 4 elements, fire water earth air, example is the house, how to build a house? Need stone blocks, how to create stone blocks? Need some earth or dirt, combined with water, then shaping to blocks after that need heat to be cooked and steady then need air to make the blocks dry and finish product, and humans and other living beings too are created by the 4 elements, People have heat in their body to not get cold, and water like blood, and air to breath, and earth is the physical form of humans and other organisms (living beings), Humans are just like cars, humans have organs, 6 senses, hormones, chemical reactions to the brain and the nature of mind, nature of the mind is greedy for sensual pleasure to the 5 senses, and car have engine, wheels, fuel, lights, windows, etc.. That's why humans are just like animals, humanity just invented sense of self, the sense of "me" "mine" "I'm this" "I'm that" but in reality all living beings are just an organism in the environment, So everything are just organism trying to survive everyday, name, labels is an illusion it's not real because truth is beyond words and beyond ordinary people and ordinary living beings understanding What do you think?

I really appreciate your perspective

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Twizler88 Thanks very much for watching.

Am I the only one who finds it entertaining reading texts like these?

This is only disturbing if you never contemplated these concepts

I love this author.

Great review sir , I'm really looking forward to read this

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Tread carefully. There’s no going back after reading it. It puts information in your head that you can’t get out.

@therenegades7329

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn I understand sir , thank you once again , I constantly keep myself doing things so that I don't get to think about such existential thoughts like death, live, or rather stupid desires which makes me a bit mad and sad..

@therenegades7329

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn I'm just 17 years old but I got into such existential crisis so early , this might have led me here , but this is making me a bit free from all the inner struggle that's why I'm looking for such art whether it be a movie , book , cartoon etc

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

@@therenegades7329 Well, just remember that this book won’t cheer you up or make you feel better. Ligotti once claimed that he intended this to be a self help book, but I beg to differ. Let me know what you think of it when you’re finished.

@therenegades7329

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn sure , but it will take some time ,I am very slow in comprehending stuff from books. Thanks once again for your reviews btw😀

Excellent review

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Jose Angel Lopez Thank you, Jose. It’s a very scary book. Tread carefully.

Have you read Max Stirner?

@AuthorJamesFlynn

11 ай бұрын

No, I haven’t. What kind of stuff does he write?

@CrypticCurrent

11 ай бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Philosophy. He is similar to Nietzsche, actually Nietzsche was possibly inspired by his work. I feel like his philosophy and existentialism/absurdism is the anwser to nihilism.

Why are ideas that shed light on things called "Dark".

Profoundly reviewed.. regards and love 😘

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Muneeb.

Axioms are true or false. The only way of knowing is examining and proving them. So a+b=b+a, however horse + buggy not necessarily = buggy + horse. Thus his assumption about free will is not necessarily correct. Surprisingly Tora tells us that humans, Adam, is first created without the soul, and only later the soul is given to him. However , one should view it as a seed of a soul. It needs years of nourishment to fully develop. This why we get Hitler’s, Eichmanns, Lenin, Stalin, , murderers , pedophils, etc. And on the other hand we get Einstein, Newton, Moses . Buddha, … And it’s up to us which turn we take. This why society is shaped by people, and people are shaped by society. See Escher’s paintings it’s really illuminating.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

Why should I accept any religious text as fact?

I'm sorry but you're supposed to scream it every time you say MALIGNANTLY USELESS.

You have gained a subscriber

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@JamesEdwardTracy

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, myself as well. I'm looking forward to that extended book review!

After this book I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakdown

Your video gets a thumbs up because you did a great job of covering this book. If I were to rate the book, the book is a thumbs down. I agree with you that life can be enjoyed. I think that Thomas is rather black pilled and nihilistic. Even the argument that we don’t have free will is a very weak argument. I would agree that we don’t have as much free will as we think that we have, but if we had no free will at all and we are simply drained by our biology, why do identical twins have such different outcomes? I think that people should read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. They should read Viktor Frankl‘s man’s search for meaning. They should read Diogenes, Epictetus, Plato, and other stoic philosophers. The fact that life has suffering within it does not completely invalidate the joy and value of life. In fact, suffering is absolutely critical. If you look at the mouse utopia experiment by John B. Calhoun, we need to have some suffering. If everything was perfect, we would have nothing else to do but sit around and kill each other to create drama. Even a modern author like Jordan Peterson does a good job of explaining why nihilism is a flawed logic.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I suppose I sympathise with both sides of the argument. I think it’s amazing that we’ve evolved on this rock, and although I’d hesitate to reproduce, I think we should try to enjoy life.

@ChadCilli

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn regardless of whether or not we reproduce, I think the beauty of existence and life is that it is temporary. So, we should make every effort to enjoy as much of it as we can. For some people who want kids, raising kids may be one of those experiences to enjoy. I don’t think people should just have kids for the sake of having kids, but if you want kids, that’s something people should enjoy. I try to really embrace every experience, even the bad ones. I lost my dog to cancer in 2017. By all measures, it was a horrible experience, but I also learned so much from it. The day before she passed, she was rolling around in the fresh snow, her tail wagging, just happy as could be enjoying every second of it. It’s kind of like how every time she saw a butterfly, she’d stop and look at it like it was the first time she had ever seen a butterfly. Fully present in every moment. I try to live my life that way. Every conversation, every interaction, every experience, I make an effort to be fully present and really embrace the moment. Life is full of suffering, but it is also full of joy. It’s up to each person what they choose to focus on. As my mother always said, “the rainy days make me appreciate the sunny days.” I fully appreciate and understand why people become nihilistic. I’ve felt that way too, but I’m much happier choosing to focus on the good things

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChadCilli Very inspirational. I admire your strength and resolution. No ideology is perfect, of course, but I hope you can use yours to have a good time.

@ChadCilli

Жыл бұрын

@@shatteredteethofgod are you referring specifically to this book or all arguments about free will? Sapolsky makes a very strong argument about free will. My comment was specifically in reference to this book. I am not addressing every single argument against free will. Sam Harris has a book on free will which is much more extensive.

If you look at the final season of westworld - it's discovered the humans are puppets.

Are there any women who identify as antinatalists ? I would LOVE to hear from them. After all we are a linchpin in this movement/philosophy and in my research I have not come across any women.? Regards from "the hand that rocks the cradle"

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Why do you need women to be a part of it?

Very good review!

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, sir.

As a person who struggled with the idea of suicide and go through check places I’m probably not gonna read the book yes I know I’m gonna die and maybe life is bad but I’ll take in the small joys I get and live in the moment maybe that’s against Thomas’s wishes But I get to choose

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, that’s a good idea. Don’t read this book if you’re prone to depression, because it won’t help you at all. And I agree that we can still enjoy life, even if it’s pointless.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

6:00 Theres so many stupid things about this but I'll state this point only. Being depressed because the world is unjust and can be horrific is only a subset of the population. Plenty of people are depressed and can acknowledge those things without them being a cause, and plenty of people can be relatively happy and still be aware of those things, believing the world is meaningless. Your's is the third review I've watched on this book and I don't see compelling arguments. Only valid perspectives. But there are contradictory valid perspectives.

@bon12121

Жыл бұрын

How can he claim dogs are more natural than humans and depression is more natural than it's absence. Where is he getting this definition of 'natural'? And what about the naturalistic falacy?

Don’t we have an innate antidote to equalize this notion? Hope

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

Well, what could that antidote be? We find ourselves here, trapped in these bodies that are slowly ageing and decaying. For me, the only hope against that is science.

I thought this book was about something its not... Consciousness is our saving grace not the mother of all evil. The death of our physical existence is the liberation of our actual existence--consciousness in its pure form.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

I assume a comment like this is inspired by religion.

@thomas0101

Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn No religion is the costume or the story that people wrap around the truth of our absolute identity and the orientation of experience/existence. These costumes and stories have been used to misguide people away from the truth since basically forever. The truth is very simple actually... Look into non-duality as taught by Mooji and others...

volume

@AuthorJamesFlynn

4 жыл бұрын

Brand Gardner Yes, I completely agree. That’s what I was thinking.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

Hi James. I stumbled across your book reviews after one was posted to an antinatalism Facebook group. Pretty decent review here, except for the end. During the review you say there’s nothing really to disagree with, but then at the end you say you disagree with it. Sorry, but isn’t that cognitive dissonance pretty much the point of the book? I ah e not listened to your second review of this yet, so perhaps this is cleared up there. It’s next on my list.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I disagree only in the sense that I think that it's possible to enjoy life. Also, I think it's amazing that we evolved to have conscious minds. A blunder can be enjoyed.

Well. Maybe it's because I'm a natural-born cynic, but I find this book slightly pretentious in the sense that it dogmatically regards the effect that a specific phenomenon supposedly has on the human mind as being an absolute thing, in this case that being the meaninglessness of life. I mean, it does an in depth inquirenment into the theme of life's meaninglessness but fails at the same point that every Lovecraft's work does, that being it not addressing the subjectivity of the subject. Yeah, let's assume that life is meaningless, void, painful, horrible, so what? who says that that's a reason to be miserable? pessimists are in actuality not different at all from positivists, for their kafkian, lovecraftian, dantean, horrible view on life is but a direct product of the status quo, of normality and regular ethics. Why would you even care the universe being meaningless if not because you long for the idea of it being meaningful? Why would the endless sufferings of life bother you if not because you're unable to overcome the earthly sinful desire for visceral living natural of the brute and the lower animals, Schopenhauer's will to live? taking one of Lovecraft's works as an example, a regular God-fearing western man walks into a room where he finds a machine which happens to contain a living human brain, conscious and able to communicate. The man shrieks in horror, for the madness of seeing one of his own kind, an earthly, simple creature as himself transformed into a universal shapeless being, is unbearable. But imagine for a second that the man that walks into the room is no longer a regular God-fearing western mortal, but he has been pushed by suffering to be an outcast, an animal that has been exiled from the herd and wanders aimlessly, thus eventually becoming a stranger to any form of previous herd-life, and metamorphosing into one of his own. Wouldn't this creature, walking into that room, stare at that universal being, a deformed incomprehensible creature, and see in it freedom, limitlessness, truth, bliss? He would see then that regular life, herd-life, normal human life was only an illusion. And in doing so he would also realize that the horror, emptiness, and meaninglessness displayed as a shadow by that illusion was, again, just an illusion. Behold, the man that has become unaffected by life and death, pleasure and pain.

If I believed what he said, it would be very uplifting.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

How so?

@duhbigcat1848

Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn if we are just puppets... then no blame, no guilt, just relax and enjoy or don't enjoy the ride because it doesn't matter.

@duhbigcat1848

Жыл бұрын

...only problem is that I don't know if this is true. Although small, there is a leap of faith to believe in even this.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

Жыл бұрын

@Duh BigCat Yes, I see what you mean. It’s a kind of “determinism vs free will” issue.

@duhbigcat1848

Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn Advocates for free will rarely offer a sensible definition or mechanism for their claims.

People can't give meaning to life other than producing More of it (partly a function of economic realities )

@AuthorJamesFlynn

2 жыл бұрын

You can give your life subjective meaning, but not objective meaning.

@gda295

2 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn unless you are a material IST there is little objectivity (even then reality can be unpredictable) but 1 thing is certain . .your life is your own. . unfortunately most must dedicate themselves to the support of it...the rest is biology

Chin up, chap, Kierkegaard will save your babies.

It’s amazing that we exist, but it’s not fantastic.

Life's meaning is derived through responsibility and gratitude. God may give you that. Love of your work may give you that. Your child may give you that. Seeking some sort of existential meaning in life is the same thing as seeking god. thats what existential meaning is. A grand narrative of your place in the universe. Whether its choreographed or not doesnt matter. your very existance is the evidence of your place in the universe. Are you the center of it? Do you have the world and universe groveling at your feet? No. Youre one of billions who seek their destiny. Were one of trillions of individial life forms on earth fighting to stay alive. We must rip the meaning out of the hands of an apathetic universe. 10,000 years ago, you wouldnt have had the comfort to whine about the tragedy of your existance with your health insance and heated house and so much food you could intentionally make yourself fat if you so desired. Back then, meaning was the same thing as survival. Thats why dogs dont dread the future of death. Their meaning is their very existance and as long as theyre alive, their life matters to them. Theres zero reason why we should go out without a fight as a species. Wether we fight off eachother from genocide, or fight off the elements from natural destruction. This ideology is pathetic self pity and all I can say to people who adhere to it is: grow up.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

rewerstfd Well, after thinking about this for a long time, I’ve come to the conclusion that both ideas are right. You are right if you say that life is worth living, and Ligotti is also right if he says it’s not. There’s no way of proving either side of the argument. It can never be truly settled. Ligotti even says this in the book.

@AuthorJamesFlynn

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to let you know that a second, more in-depth review of this book will be up on my channel on 8th of August. This one will dissect the chapters more thoroughly, and I’ll include my final verdict on Ligotti’s pessimistic philosophy. Don’t miss it!

@rewerstfd

3 жыл бұрын

@@AuthorJamesFlynn It would be a very interesting to compare Ligotti's "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race" to Tolstoy's "A Confession". One (Ligotti) seems to be written by a man wracked by nihilism and anger towards the fact that his suffering existance feels like a bad joke. While Tolstoy's is a retrospective of being in that same predicament and ultimately, after being an atheist most his life, became a russian orthodox monk who people traveled far and wide to speak to. Such a night and day life change and ultimately mentality change surely warrents analysis, which is what A Confession offers to the reader. Also, apolgies for the... aggressive comment. I have a lot of faith in people and find it maddening when they seemingly give up on themselves. To me, that is what nihilism is. An ideology spurned by the hatred of oneself, and then the blaming of outside factors as to why life is so meaningless. Part of the responsibily of the misery and dissatisfaction in our own lives needs to fall on ourselves as well. If life is meaningless, we're living it meaninglessly.

Such a confusing book. But maybe I’m just stupid

@j74s98

3 жыл бұрын

Don't take this comment as an insult, but I feel like women are generally less inclined to pessimism. Perhaps it has something to do with motherly instincts.

Well that will save Islam a whole lot of time and trouble.

Wow, what an inventor of boiling water🥱

I don’t want to sound dismissive of Ligotti or of anyone who advocates for this book. But I do not get the reaction of awestruck terror many people claim to experience after reading this book. Ligotti is a decent writer of horror short stories, but I found this book unimpressive. Yes, life is meaningless. Yes, we’re all going to die. And yes, before we die we will suffer. He’s not saying anything new here. History is littered with Men more miserable than him who wrote at length the same ideas. They go back centuries, even as far back as Buddha who said (alleged) Life is suffering. Ligotti co-ops the same ideas and chooses to interpret them through some dull pessimistic liberal arts analysis. Buddhism at least goes further teaching suffering can be transcended. Many people believe that’s bullshit and that’s fine, yet the idea of transcendence is just as valid as Ligotti’s nihilism. How you walk through life depends on which version you want to consider. Of course Ligotti is entitled to his opinions and point of view, yet at the end of the day that’s all it is, one man’s opinions and personal perspectives. He chooses to consider life through a bleak lens of fear and hopelessness and people talk about him likes he’s some prophet. He’s not, far from it. He is the patron saint of incels and school shooters. The horror fiction version of L Ron Hubbard, as the unwitting leader of a cult of cynicism and apathy.

@silversnail1413

2 жыл бұрын

You say you don't want to "be dismissive" of Ligotti or the people who read his work, then you call him the patron saint of school shooters and incels and equate him to a charlatan like L Ron Hubbard. I'm genuinely unsure if this post is meant to be satire or if you're just a fool.

I would call it "The Book of Truth" xD

5:11 The level of ignorance here is off the scale. You only get 120 years max of life on Earth, and that's so horrible that you'd rather have none? By that logic, I shouldn't ride a roller coaster for the thrill because the thrill will end at some point. I shouldn't have sex because the orgasm won't last for the rest of my life. How does he even utter such drivel? Should we deprive ourselves of the 120 years of fun for the Universe's sake...which will never be even remotely harmed by what we do and which is actually a single swirl of energy that we perceive as separated holographic icons projected in our minds?

It always amazes me how utterly ignorant a person with good research and writing skills can nevertheless be. Consciousness is the entire POINT of this hologram, and everyone from Buddha to Zoroaster to Jesus told you so. All you have to do to realize it is LIVE deep enough to have a sufficiently traumatic experience, do enough hours of vapasana meditation, or if you're lazy just take some 5 MEO-DMT. You will discover what thousands of writers have told you over and over again for the last 3000 years...in every tale from the Bible's story of Jacob to the more modern stories of Scrooge and The Wizard of Oz. The lesson in all of these is the EXACT SAME and it's obvious to anyone who has had the experience that Jacob is talking about. How can you believe you're so smart when you can't even figure out the simplest and most common of fables? Consciousness exists, this material world does not. It is an illusion we create in our minds to make sense of the swirling energy that is the universe.