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Came across this book and thought it sounded quite interesting, haven't read it yet just thought i'd share it here:

This book examines the paradox of intention, the simple idea that we may reach a goal by giving up the attempt to reach it or, conversely, that we may be prevented from reaching a goal by our intentional efforts to achieve it. The nature of this paradox is explored through an examination of texts from ancient and existential philosophy, psychotherapy, and the sacred texts of Buddhism, Christianity, and Taoism. Shaw then subjects the paradox to systematic study by pursuing a series of questions arising from it. A clearly written and accessible study, The Paradox of Intention adds an intriguing chapter to both comparative ethics and the cross-cultural study of the philosophy of religion.

https://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Intentio ... 1555401104

I subscribe to this school of thought. True freedom comes from realizing that "I am not the doer." It is only the three modes of material nature that act through me. The 3 modes of material nature are of goodness, passion and ignorance, and they pull an individual in separate directions. It is only when the self identifies itself with the ego (I-ness), that it thinks "I am the doer".

Ref.: Bhagavad-gītā3.27

Interesting - I just finished reading Mark Manson's book and he writes about this phenomena a little bit. Essentially when one stops giving "fu*ks" then it opens up creative outlets to take risks, have those difficult conversations, try new things, and generally think clearer to complete whatever task/goal/job it is you're trying to accomplish. Accepting the pain, suffering, and failure should be part of the process in essence.

I somewhat understand this but may need more concrete examples. Hard to tell if you goal is being reached not because one is "giving up the goal" or one is simply leveling up in the skills or eliminating options / obstacles along the way by literally reaching for the goal...accepting your emotions for what they're and doing what needs to be done anyway is a mark of maturity. Also a mark of simply not having a choice sometimes.

Lemur wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 26, 2021 4:42 pm

I somewhat understand this but may need more concrete examples.

Yes to examples, but be aware of selection bias. No one tells the tale of those who gave up and achieved the expected results of zero benefit.

The book looks interesting, thanks. Without having read it, but riffing on the general idea (that I might be missing the point of):
.Is this related to "outcome independence"? The attitude that while I do indeed very much want to have/achieve/get certain good things in my life over the long run, and arrange my life in order to further the attainment of those things, I endeavor to let go of caring too much whether or not I 'win' today, on this project. The easiest example is dating, where I was introduced to the topic. Outcome independence is the simultaneous attitude of wanting and arranging my life such that I experience bountiful healthy relationships with women, but letting go of whether or not *this* date is going to be a home run, or whether I'm going to snag *this particular* beautiful woman.
.John Michael Greer warns about the subtle difficulty of setting specific goals that actually bring you what you want. e.g. if you set your goal as "I want to have a million dollars", you could lock in the goal of *wanting* to have a million dollars, not actually *having* a million dollars. Therefore your actions serve to align with the purpose of keeping you in a perpetual state of desiring, but not having, a million dollars. In this case it's easy to see how letting go of the poorly formulated goal might release the major block between you and a million dollars.

@AxelHeyst That is pretty much stoicism in a nutshell.

I think this might also be due to the multitude of ways in which varying manifestations of anxiety can block or inhibit everything from simple physiological functions to creative thought. Compulsive behavior, even if towards or effectively forwarding positive goals, is usually a manifestation of anxiety.

My multimillionaire friend frequently referred to the period of his life in his late 20s when he found himself eating from a dumpster in metro Detroit, because he was fired from a series of jobs after college, but he didn’t want to go back to the farm where he was raised. He exhibited many rigid, compulsive and eccentric behaviors which I am certain directly aided in achieving his goal of accumulating great wealth. It was difficult for me to ascertain whether he was still truly driven by anxiety related to brief period of dumpster eating level poverty or if he semi-purposefully focused on the experience to promote the anxiety to drive his compulsive behaviors or if it was mostly a form of socially acceptable cover for engaging in anti-social zero sum game practices which also promoted his acquisition of great wealth. For semi-hilarious example, he would Tragedy of the Commons style raid by the pound buffet at Whole Foods for just the more expensive ingredients he wanted from mixed dishes.