Excellent thought provoking book.

This book changed my life. I read it 24 years ago and it has become a parental inner voice of navigating and copping with life. It has been a great source of, comfort, strength and perspective. Today I am considered very emotionally grounded and sound and the foundation for this is from The Road Less Traveled.

中文版第四本

This is the third in the "Road Less Traveled" trilogy.

It reads much more like a blog than his previous books, by which I mean he's less concerned with presenting his thoughts as principles of psychology or principles of human behavior, he just kind of throws it out there.

There is an annoying amount of repeated information from the previous Road Less Traveled books.

I did like a few things from this book, though. I'd recommend it to anyone who liked his first two Road Less Traveled books, as long as they are ok covering a lot of the same ground.

Things I liked from this book:
- p. 70-71: he interestingly distinguishes between those who are evil, insane, ill, and sinful
- p. 112-113: he says we should not always feel good about ourselves (which is narcissistic), so often we should not attempt to bolster our self-esteem. Instead, we should always regard ourselves are important or valuable, equating to a permanent sense of self-love.
- p. 128: he says the chief characteristic of immaturity is to sit around complaining that life doesn't meet their demands (refusing to accept/improve upon reality). The mature will regard it as their responsibility, and opportunity, to meet life's demands.
- p. 130: since we cannot learn everything, we must prioritize/specialize our education/knowledge. Sufi Muslim Idries Shah says ~"It is not enough to study. First one must determine what to study and what not to study. When to study and when not to study. And who to study with, and who not to study under."
- p. 245: I had probably known this but not thought much about it, but there are quadrants for Spiritual vs Religious: the non-spiritual non-religious, the spiritual but not religious, the religious but not spiritual (an interesting quadrant...), and the spiritual and religious.
He ~defines spirituality as one's attempt to be in harmony with the unseen order of things (God).

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQJwd... {- *

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- ^ AUDIOBOOK ^ -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * 9.5/10 * -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = GOOD REFLECTIONS ONLY 4 HOURS = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWrl... {- *

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *

* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

THY WILL NOT MINE BE DONE

Interesting read, but I didn't really find it helpful. After his first book, I probably wouldn't have bought this, but it was a gift.

Didn't land with me.

see my other comments on this author. he's one of my favorites. he really makes you think about whether humans are innately good or evil and how narcissistic behavior can destroy.

This rings a 3.5 stars for me. A major part of it could be attributed to the fact that when Peck wrote this, he was already in his sixties, having been through and seen more in life. Perhaps I may give this book an alternate rating when I re-read again at a later phase in life.

Unlike its predecessor 'The Road Less Travelled', this book offers a much closer insight towards Peck's relationship with God and the intimacy he had with God which has manifested since his first book. It illustrates aptly his growth in his walk with God.

What shines though most in this book is the non-biased, humble, and practical approach of the author. Overall, this book was a refreshing take on how to approach life. It seeks to merge secular and spiritual wisdom. In my opinion, I think it leans too far into the spiritual at times, but not enough to make me dislike the book.

Enjoyed this in the series of 3 he wrote

The author is incredibly open and his reasoning is incredible