101 Experiments in the Philosophy of Everyday Life

by Roger-Pol Droit, Stephen Romer (Translator)

Roger Pol-Droit's highly original book is a reassessment of our day-to-day engagement with life. In 101 short texts, written with limpid elegance, Droit invites us to reconsider our most ordinary actions as unexpected philosophical events: peeling an apple, trying to lie in a hammock, watching someone sleep, hearing your voice on an answering machine, playing with a small child - activities that, when considered outside of their routine, invite us to experience the familiar in startling new ways.

Droit encourages us to go further: pretend to be an animal of your choice, create a wall with your hands, try to walk around your room in total darkness, spend time in the Underground - and observe your oddity.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Self Help, Reference, France

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Gabriel Sommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever peeled an apple in your head? Have you ever left a movie theatre in the climax of the story?
This book is full of different experiments that one might do, and see the impact on their lives. Now none of these experiments are deadly or harmful, they have usually a mental or emotional impact. I have done almost all of these experiments, and they are amazingly entertaining, and very interesting. One experiment that I though very interesting, and entertaining is See the Stars Below You. This book gives you the duration, the ending effect it will leave on you, and the props you need. For this the effect is cosmic, you need 30 to 60 minutes, and a clear night sky. Now for this experiment you need to lie down, and look at the stars. If you think about it, you will realize that it feels like you are looking down upon the stars, and you start to feel like the stars are looking up at you. This is a very interesting, and a bit frightful feeling though it is one of the many amazing experiments.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

In short: this starts off strong. Thought-provoking, and quite beautifully written. But soon, all the 'experiments' (which don't actually need to be performed -- they're thought experiments at best, and ramblings at face value) blend together into one big "Accept Your Own Mortality & The Pointlessness Of Life" mash. Fine, whatever -- but there's a lot more to philosophy than that. This should've been titled "101 Experiments in Recognizing Futility" or something to that effect. Just so you know what you're getting into.

To be fair: there are some amazing ideas here, though nothing as groundbreaking as Droit perhaps thinks he is (by the end, his pretentia was showing). I picked up this book in hopes of finding something for my ninth-grade philosophy class, and while most were inappropriate for that age group...I found something for myself that hit home really hard -- the 'Feel Eternal' experiment.

"You have to feel, first as a kind of unusual dizziness, then as a truth that is more and more familiar, that the most fundamental kernel that constitutes you has nothing to do with the successive events of time. You contemplate them. You accompany them. But you are not a part of them. That at least is what you must persuade yourself." (23)

Not everything in the book is -- but that was well-said. And chances are that [almost] everyone will find something in these pages that strikes a chord. So: worthwhile, but repetitive.

[Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and fun. A book to be savoured and dipped into from time to time. I've been practicing "See the Stars Below You" as I fall asleep at night. Dazzling!

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most unique books I've ever read. It's full of experiments that sort of challenge your view of reality. Definitely walks a fine line between cool & stupid, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mis experiencias favoritas:
1. Ver las estrellas abajo
2. Caminar en la oscuridad
3. Observar el polvo en un rayo de sol
4. Comer demasiado
5. Llorar en el cine
6. Vagar por una librería
7. Ayunar unos días
8. Mirar como duerme nuestra pareja
9. Oír nuestra voz grabada
10. Enfrentarse al azar puro

Mención honorífica a los dibujos de cada capítulo

[Marc Lacuesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting premise: Simple exercises you can perform in your own house, or out around your neighborhood can shake you out of your unenlightenedness... it's a do-it-yourself philosophy book for those who want to learn about the nature of their true self.

The exercises are short in description, about two to three pages a piece. Some of the exercises are silly (take 30 minutes to crawl around and act like a wild animal, so as to tap into basic animal instincts?). Or maybe I'm just not committed.

Others, like studying the carcass of a dead bird, brought to the forefront the idea of perfection, the immediacy of what is happening right now. American Beauty, anyone?

For those people who have never read a philosophy book, I suppose it's a "I never thought of it that way" type of book. For those who have read a philosophy book, you will enjoy the quirky experiments that Mr. Droit comes up with, in order to demonstrate his ideas. Most of them are odd, some of them are very funny. They're the main reason I read the entire book.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of his suggestions/quotes:
"telephone at random, tell them who you are"
"drink while urinating"
"imagine the stars below you"
"what makes a small circus so moving is its mixture of misery and reverie"
"blue icing can provoke a kind of indefinable malaise"
and my favorite-
"watch dust in the sun". you know when the light is just right and a sliver of it comes through the blinds and illuminates all the dust particles floating in the air? Well what else do you take for real that is only half of the picture? Maybe we dont see things as they really are. Maybe we see the world through some utilitarian lense but really its far different. Perhaps we have a simplified view that is a fraction of the picture. drink while urinating.

[Laura Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am enjoying this little book. I say "enjoying" rather than "enjoyed" because it is not really the type of book you read front to back and assimilate at once. It is intended to be a book that you jump into at random for inspiration and firestarters for the imagination. Some of the experiments are more appealing and interesting than others, and that will surely vary from reader to reader. This is a good book for a writer or artist who wants little jabs to the imagination. I like it much more than I do similar books that frame the exercises specifically as writing prompts, but they could certainly be used that way.

[Nativeabuse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book might be great for someone who is a complete idiot, who needs to be told suggestions like 'go out for a walk!'.

The book was divided up mainly between moronic experiments that are laughably stupid, and experiments the equivalent of my example 'go for a walk', 'take a nap', ect.

There were a few that sounded interesting, but these were far and few in between.

What is worse is that none of these things were related back to philosophy or anything close to it. After each experiment the author basically writes a poetic sounding garbled explanation that sounds closer to a hippie stoner rambling than anything actually philosophical.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

You will need: this book
Duration: too long
Effect: annoyance verging on anger

I am not averse to the search for insight through wading through ordinary everyday experience. Such is Zen Buddhism, I understand. But performing these banal "experiments" do not rise to the level of philosophy, whatever huffing and puffing the author makes, nor is it even of much interest or entertainment value. It was a task to finish reading this, and I will put it down to an exercise in patience. This was the lesson.

[Bricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

we all ought to try to see the world in different ways, rather than how society breeds us to see it. thus, when we drink while urinating, follow the movement of ants and visualize piles of human organs, our lives become a little livelier.

[Nic · Rating 2 out of 5]

strange things become thoughtful insights

[H.d. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Formato interessante de cronicas, com algumas otimas práticas para se espantar com o cotidiano.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I haven't attempted any of these 101 philosophical experiments, but many of them are fun to read and think about. Each experiment has a descriptive title, a probable time duration, and what kind of effect to expect on oneself from performing it. Some of my favorites are “4 Make the World Last 20 Minutes”, “5 See the Stars Below You”, “23 Dread the Arrival of the Bus”, “63 Give Without Thinking About it”, “81. Descend an Interminable Staircase”, “85 Laugh at an Idea”, “90 Sing the Praises of Santa Claus”, “96 Kill People in Your Head”, “97 Take the Subway Without Going Anywhere”. Some of these experiments contain clues to what era in telephone technology this book was written, e.g. “11 Telephone at Random”, and “71 Disconnect the Phone”. “86 Vanish at a Pavement Cafe” is one of a few experiments that remind me that Roger-Pol Droit is French, and “26 Watch a Woman at Her Window” and “78 Tell a Woman She is Beautiful” suggest tendencies of a stereotypical French man. Doesn't take itself too seriously and many of the experiments are more than a little tongue-in-cheek, but touches on a lot of facets of modern life. Many of these are also fun to read aloud on rainy nights.

[Elisala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un titre pareil, je ne pouvais pas ne pas être intriguée, et je ne pouvais pas non plus ne pas y jeter un oeil en passant, et.... j'ai été charmée! J'ai feuilleté un peu, juste quelques expériences comme ça pour voir, et j'ai trouvé ces expériences fantastiques, il faut le dire, par leur aspect simple, mais loufoque aussi, pleines d'humour, et qui propose chacune un petit décalage de rien du tout par rapport à la "réalité", voire à la "normalité". Une autre façon de voir le monde qui nous entoure, d'aller au-delà de l'image qu'on en a - ou qu'on nous en donne, d'aller un peu en dessous de la surface des choses.
Pour moi qui considère que dans la vie un des plus gros défauts est de la prendre trop au sérieux (la vie), ce livre est parfait!
En plus, ces expériences me donnent envie de les crayonner, de les dessiner, ce qui est un gage sérieux de moteur de l'imagination.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought experiments you can do in from 10 minutes to several decades. Some are trite (try not to think), some are potentially illegal and obviously dated (observe a woman through her window), some are amusing (drink while urinating), and some are exciting (become music) but all are described in a page or two and can keep a group of one to several people thoughtfully occupied and chatting for a while. Reminded me of A Book of Surrealist Games.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actividades interesantes, con una más interesantes que otras. Lo que más me ha gustado del libro es lo que más me ha hecho reflexionar sobre actividades cotidianas y darle un nuevo significado a las mismas. Ciertos ejercicios me parecen poco realizables (creo que dependen mucho del carácter de la persona para poder ser realizados) pero otros los pondré en práctica. Recomiendo su lectura si quieres hacer menos aburridas algunas de tus actividades cotidianas.

[David Svinth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bogen består af 101 øvelser eller eksperimenter, der kaster et filosofisk lys over tilværelsen.

Jeg nød bogen og prøvede en del af øvelserne i begyndelsen. Teksterne til øvelserne var godt skrevet, og de fik mig til at tænke over eksistensen.

Dog var det alt for meget med 101 øvelser. De 30 bedste havde været nok til at komme omkring de vigtige aspekter.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those Tumblr blogs that are like "warm suggestions" "positive suggestions", etc, that will post things like "let the sunlight warm your skin in the morning" or "feel the steam of your tea curl over your face"? Yeah this book was that, but like, evil. Suggestions that trigger dissociative episodes.

[Samah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des expériences intéressantes .. d’autres moins intéressantes.. j’ai essayé quelques-unes mais pas toutes.
Je le garde dans ma bibliothèque pour des futures expérimentations de ramer dans ma chambre!

[Altary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was silly but fun.

[Andrea Serri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was less "philosophical" and more "practical philosophy"

My bad.

[Luci _Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It´s very funny .

[Saleh Guess · Rating 4 out of 5]

very instructive for young age

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up after it was mentioned in Austin Kleon's weekly newsletter; it's got some interesting exercises, European sensibilities, and even a little Buddhism.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a strange one. Interesting. Weird. Head scratcher.

[Michał Bukowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka pobudzająca intelektualnie. Raczej dla osób z zamiłowaniem do filozofii. Czasami znienacka rozśmiesza. Innym razem może wywołać egzystencjalne ciarki.

[LaViejaPiragua · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROPUESTAS DESCONCERTANTES PARA EXPERIMENTAR NUEVAS PERSPECTIVAS SOBRE LO QUE NOS RODEA.

Solemos vivir de manera superficial, un poco narcotizados por la rutina, por la repetición automática de gestos y palabras; nos sentimos seguros en un mundo en el que todo se comporta de manera previsible porque así nos parece que podemos controlar nuestra vida y la de los que nos rodean y eso, claro, nos tranquiliza. Que ese control y esa tranquilidad sean falsos, una mera convención colectiva, no nos importa demasiado mientras que no nos enteremos del todo. Pero esta sensación artificial de seguridad, por muy inconsistente que resulte, a pesar de su poco valor, tiene un coste, y bastante alto además, el aburrimiento, el transcurrir ligero de nuestros días y, en definitiva, los tonos más bien grises con los que pintamos nuestras existencias.

Algunos tratan de luchar contra esa sensación de adocenamiento leyendo, o a través de la filosofía, la expresión artística, la meditación, viajando… Hay muchas formas, lo esencial es salir de lo que ahora se llama la “zona de confort”, buscar nuevos lugares desde los que poder contemplar lo que nos rodea desde una nueva perspectiva, perdiendo algo de sensación de seguridad, pero consiguiendo a cambio colorear nuestras vidas.

Esto es lo que nos propone el profesor e investigador de filosofía Roger-Paul Droit, nuevas perspectivas que nos permitan conseguir el extrañamiento necesario para contemplar el mundo que nos rodea como algo ligeramente nuevo y por lo tanto más interesante. Son una serie de ejercicios más o menos sencillos, sin coste económico, sin necesidad de desplazarse a escenarios exóticos, que nos permitirán, si queremos aceptar sus pequeños retos, reflexionar sobre unas cuantas cuestiones que solemos asumir como normales por su mera repetición.

Como indica el título, este libro incluye 101 propuestas algo desconcertantes que no sólo se enuncian sino que se desarrollan para tratar de explicar el sentido de cada una. Curiosamente, algunas de ellas las hemos practicado cuando éramos niños y luego las hemos abandonado. Nuestras favoritas son las siguientes:

Llamarse a sí mismo en una habitación vacía; repetir una palabra hasta que deje de tener sentido; pensar que el mundo acabará en veinte minutos; tumbarnos bajo el cielo estrellado y convencernos de que lo que está abajo son las estrellas y no nosotros; creer que somos eternos durante un rato; beber y orinar a la vez; pelar una manzana con la imaginación cuidando de todos los detalles, sin saltarnos ni un solo paso (mucho más difícil de lo que parece); cerrar los ojos y creerse en un lugar situado a una gran altura, imaginar que nos morimos; seguir el movimiento de las hormigas; observar el polvo de un rayo de sol; esperar sin hacer nada; intentar no pensar; quitarle el sonido a la tele; mirar cómo duerme nuestra pareja; sonreír a un desconocido; bajar una escalera pensando que no tiene fin; deambular por la noche; jugar con un niño tan concentrado en el juego como él; matar a alguien con la imaginación; viajar en metro sin rumbo fijo.

Al final del libro se incluyen tres útiles índices para encontrar experiencias clasificándolas, por su duración, los materiales necesarios o sus posibles efectos, porque éste es un libro que se puede leer seguido, pero que se debe experimentar a salto de mata.

[Nayeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept this as my backup printed book (just in case there was no electricity, I guess?) been reading it on an off for a year or so. I think it's best not to read it all at once because it can get overwhelming.

The "experiments" are really interesting, do notice I used quotes there... because most of them hardly seem like experiments at all and are more like descriptions of experiences you probably already had but never thought too deeply about, and for me it's kind of amazing to over-analyze things. It's important to keep in mind that some ideas sound a little crazy ("drink while urinating", "kill people in your head", "feel eternal" to name a few) but overall it is entertaining and the guy sure can write, or at least the translator is pretty good! I dog-eared many pages and will probably go back to them from time to time.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was some really unnecessary and triggering stuff, and far more references to consumption than there needed to be, but some of these thought experiments were as mind-expanding as they claimed to be. I also know now what it is to "dread the arrival of the bus", though for very different reasons than the ones listed in that thought experiment. In my own case, the dread came from knowing that the arriving bus would be taking away from me someone that I loved for an unknown amount of time. It was a poignant moment when the bus came and we kissed goodbye, and her lipstick left traces of red on my own lips. I watched her walk away, and I was sad but didn't understand why for a while afterward.