Emerald’s Comments (group member since Jan 28, 2025)

Emerald’s comments from the Pewdiepie Book Review 2025 group.

Alfie wrote: "I had a quick read online and it seems like most people recommend the Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation but the Stephen Mitchell version is also pretty popular and that's the one Pewdiepie h..."

Damn, I picked this one up having no idea that Pewds used it on the video. I thought it was enjoyable and, frankly very insightful. I read some of my favorite poems in my native language Portuguese, too. To me, the book was mostly about being connected to reality and not letting yourself be taken either by momentary evils nor momentary goods. It's like you're always tempted by your own conscience, either of those two tend to draw you into a spiral of bias confirmation that's dangerous and unfulfilling.

A lot of what people say about this book is about not acting, but poems like 31 make it seem to me that it's about precise, conscious and minimal action.

Another thing that came to my mind is how much of it is about doing the moral, right thing that you know to be true even if it is uncomfortable, even if no one praises you, even if no one thinks you're right. From personal experience, there are moments in life where you have to make that choice that make you feel like the main character of a movie or videogame, and also from personal experience, it's much more fulfilling if you don't give in to external social pressure. In this regard, I was reminded a bit of Ayn Rand actually.

80 was another one of my favorites. That's not too far from what I want my life to be like. :)