āI have no right to call myself one who knows. I was one who seeks, and I still am, but I no longer seek in the stars or in books; I'm beginning to hear the teachings of my blood pulsing within me.ā
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Literature, Demian tells the story of Emil Sinclair and his pursuit of self-actualization, instigated by new his friendship with Max Demian.
Published a few years before Hesseās most popular work, Siddhartha, you can already begin to see his interest in Eastern philosophy and spiritual awakening developing in the themes of Demian.
Dec 4, 2024
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some of my favoriteā¦ transcendence quotes come from this book. itās all about the joy and beauty of life in itās seasons. i listen to the audiobook regularly if iām stressed or restless. i recommend a second hand paperback, itās just too good to not mark up. also, rereads go hard as fuck because different truths phase in and out in different periods of your life. a short must read.
Sep 28, 2024
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Read my grandfatherās old copy of this when I was like 12 and became a vegetarian for the next 10 years. Huge influence in my struggle to rise above the pain, sadness, and abject suffering of my adolescenceā¦
May 12, 2024
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Recently, I read Siddhartha & Catcher in the Rye. Both protagonists, Siddhartha & Holden, were relatable for different reasons. Siddharthaās quest for knowledge and Holdenās recognition of the performative nature of everyone around him - of their inauthenticity.
Holden is frustrating though - heās a stagnant character through and through - and the lack of growth leaves him in a mental hospital at the end of the story. A setting Iām sure many of us on here are familiar with.
I donāt want to ruin Siddhartha for anyone, but the lessons about balance resonated deeply with me as a Libra āļø
Jan 20, 2024
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Iām not a parent and do not plan to be. Kids can wear me out fast with their high energy and noise level; it leaves me very over-stimulated. But itās pretty extreme when people say they āhate kidsā and I often feel itās a reflection of their childhood and beliefs around how kids āshould be.ā That they were expected to be quiet, obedient, and out of the way by their parents when they were little.
Itās fucking hard to be a kid. Youāre dealing with a rapidly-changing body and underdeveloped brain, managed by flawed adults who are enforcing boundaries that you do not understand. Itās confusing and hard to manage your feelings and honestly just a lot.
People are impatient with kids when theyāre brand new to the world and figuring it all out, and this is a time kids need a friend the most. Children can also be teachers to adults with how they are less habituated to the world. They teach us how to be free and open-hearted and silly and imaginative.
A good practice is to be kinder and gentler with kids. If that feels difficult, start with gentleness toward your inner child. Maybe thatās the child in your life that needs your attention and kindness most.
2d ago
I meant to post this yesterday. Absolutely beautiful morning for walk.
This morning is also beautiful but in a spring rain kind of way.
Mar 23, 2025
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Prescriptive gender is a prison. Rather than gender being a form of self-expression, gender is treated as a pass/fail test for how well you can conform to cultural expectations.
Since I was young, I remember feeling a great deal of pressure to conform to these expectations around what āmenā are meant to be. You like sports, cars, womanizing, aggression, and not having feelings. I felt so distant from this ideal. I was sensitive and shy, and I preferred spending my time being creative in some way
For a long time, I felt like I was failing at ābeing a man.ā In many ways I was! Because I didnāt need toĀ bea man. All I needed to be was myself.
Itās taken me a long time to separate myself from prescriptive gender, sharpening in on which aspects of masculine energy I identify with and which I donāt. Iām not done yet. Maybe I will never fully be. The self continues to evolve over time, and I suspect aspects of my gender will too.
Mar 15, 2025