[Book Review] Life Begins to Move When You 'Verbalize' It

"Man is a thinking reed" is a quote by Pascal, but ever since I became aware of the world, I have been shy and prone to shutting myself away in my own world of contemplation, so I have always loved quoting this line since I first learned it.
I have always loved quoting this line since I first learned it.

Contemplation is more than just a hobby for me; it is like breathing, but if you ask me if I am a wise man just because I think so much, that is certainly not the case.
that is certainly not the case.

I think this is because while thoughts are spinning in my brain, they never seem to take shape as words.
they never seem to take shape as words.

In the first place, I don't talk to anyone, so I have never felt any inconvenience, but when I happened to see the cover of this book, I decided to face the "verbalization" of my thoughts once again.
I decided to face the "verbalization" of my thoughts once again.

▷ For busy people, there is also an Audible version

Worrying but reaching no conclusion

I am the type of person who naturally lets out a mutter when I am thinking about something. It is not so much that I think while speaking, but rather that what I am thinking leaks out, but I often find myself bothered by my own muttering.
I often find myself bothered by my own muttering.

However, when I check carefully, it is just a completely incoherent word that leaks out, and to someone nearby, I must look like a completely crazy person who suddenly starts saying things that make no sense.
I must look like a completely crazy person who suddenly starts saying things that make no sense.

Until now, I just thought of it as "that kind of thing," but when viewed from the perspective of "verbalization," my thoughts are not verbalized at all.
my thoughts are not verbalized at all.

Even though I am thinking, in reality, no definitive conclusion ever emerges.
no definitive conclusion ever emerges.

This is exactly what the book means by failing to "clearly verbalize."
failing to "clearly verbalize."

What to do about "what to do"

As a personal matter, I have experienced this many times in my life, but even when I look around at others, there are many people who worry, saying, "What should I do..."
there are many people who worry, saying, "What should I do..."

However, this "what should I do" involves the "omission of the subject," which is unique to the Japanese language we use, and when you try to carefully supplement the subject, it often turns out that the person themselves does not even know what they are worrying about or what they should do.
it often turns out that the person themselves does not even know what they are worrying about or what they should do.

When it is not determined what you are worrying about or what you should do, there is no way you will find an answer just by worrying about what to do.
there is no way you will find an answer just by worrying about what to do.

The author brilliantly points out the state of mind of those who fall into a maze of thought with no exit in sight.
the author brilliantly points out the state of mind of those who fall into a maze of thought with no exit in sight.

When you worry and worry but cannot reach a conclusion, you need to identify what it is that you are actually worrying about and what you should do about it.
you need to identify what it is that you are actually worrying about and what you should do about it.

The greatest proposition of life

Although everyone's worries are different, the thing we spend the longest time worrying about in life is surely life itself.
the thing we spend the longest time worrying about in life is surely life itself.

What do I want to do, and what kind of person do I want to be?

When I try to think about my own life,
I realize I have never clearly verbalized
anything I was aiming for.

I have always just drifted into
studies or jobs that I had some connection to,
and while wondering whether I enjoyed them or not,
I have countless times thought about
how I should be.

However, the reason I could never
come up with a clear answer
is likely because the resolution of the biggest question in life,
"How should I be?"
was extremely low.

What is it that I really want to do?
What is it that I absolutely do not want to do?
What do I like and what do I dislike?

I have finally realized now
that although I was worried about myself,
I had not been able to deepen my thinking.

Worrying but unable to verbalize

I have always valued thinking, but
that is precisely why I feel it so keenly.

That most of my thinking until now
has been "worrying but unable to verbalize."

I consider myself to value
concepts more than words.

But when I think about it again,
I am always deepening my understanding of those concepts
by asking myself questions internally,
and even if they haven't taken a visible or audible form,
the "words" should have originally existed there.

Making it possible to express that in clear words.
In other words, "verbalizing" it.

If I can become conscious of that and put it into practice,
I might be able to climb
to the next stage of growth.

Facing my inner self,
thinking thoroughly, and verbalizing.
This is truly a philosophical endeavor.

Although it is never too late
to take on life's challenges,
I would especially like young people
to read this book.

If they can focus their thoughts on their way of life
and delve into it enough to verbalize it,
their steps through life will surely become more powerful.

If one were to be conscious of the action list section
at the end of the book from their teens,
they would be able to lead a richer life.

If I could, I would want to make my middle-school self
read it.

▷ Check on Amazon
▷ Audible version for busy people

Thank you for reading.
Thank you very much.

I have published a collection of book reviews on Kindle!
* Eligible for Kindle Unlimited *

Let's have fun working together
in our membership!
You can also read paid articles at a great value,
so I highly recommend it! ↓

I also run a collaborative magazine ↓

If you are new here, please check this out ↓

I also post daily on X.
Let's enjoy interacting with each other ↓

* I participate in the Amazon Associates program.

Today's recommendation (unsolicited introduction)

* Since I am introducing this on my own,
　please contact me if it is a nuisance.