The Mismatched Human: Our Fight for a Meaningful Existence

by Mark A. Hawkins

Explore meaning and purpose for the modern human, the journey of how we got here, and what we can do to create more fulfillment. In today’s world, we’re bombarded with more options for lifestyles, belief systems, and social movements than ever before. While they all demand our attention, how can we really know which path will provide us with the most meaning and fulfilment? In this timely exploration, Dr. Mark Hawkins takes us on a journey from the Paleolithic to the 21st century to figure out why we are collectively experiencing a crisis of meaning. Through insights informed by philosophy, psychology, and anthropology, he shows us why we feel profoundly mismatched with our modern-day reality.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

156 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2022

About the author

Mark A. Hawkins is a psychotherapist, writer, and educator whose research is focused on an interdisciplinary exploration of human well-being. He has a PhD in Philosophy of Education and a Master’s in Counselling Psychology. He is the author of The Power of Boredom: Why Boredom is Essential for Creating a Meaningful Life and The Mismatched Human: Our Fight for a Meaningful Existence. Hawkins has been interviewed for his ideas on boredom and evolutionary mismatch in modern society by numerous news organizations, podcasts, and radio shows, including The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph. His book, The Power of Boredom, has been translated to Korean through Teumsae Publishing in Seoul, South Korean.

Reviews

[Deborah Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book! I couldn’t put it down! Weaving in history, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, art and storytelling, Mark Hawkins does an excellent job of explaining “why we feel a little off” and he does so in a way that is accessible and relatable.

Hawkins explores how the myths of the past no longer match our current experiences, and have been replaced with the idea that consumerism and productivity will bring us pleasure. However, ultimately this myth isn’t working and leaves us feeling unsatiated and unfulfilled. Most intriguing is Hawkins' suggestions for a new, communal narrative that is in line with our paleolithic DNA whilst taking into consideration what we have learned along the way.

If you’re looking for a quick fix or a top ten rules to live by self help book, this is not it, but if you’re ready to take an honest dive into why we feel so out of sync today and to begin wading through deeper, uncharted waters, to see where meaning lies, you will love this book!

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engaging and thought provoking read. I enjoyed seeing how Hawkins wove together a commentary on our current world with an eye towards our evolutionary past. Seeing these two seemingly different aspects of ourselves intertwine made me reflect upon not just what I do, but also why I am so engaged. I loved learning about aspects of own historical past that influenced the way we think as individuals and as a species. How we are still included them by them is amazing.

Thank you to Cold Noodle Creative and Mark Hawkins for this ARC. All thoughts above are my own.

[Srikanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really an excellent book that navigates from the paleolithic to the neolithic to the present day while illustrating how our sense of meaning, movement and pleasure were all related to the core act of survival and how they have slowly deviated over time and as a result have led to our existential angst. The author does not commit the error of defining a solution to this angst, but as a finger pointing to the moon, gives us a direction to move towards.