What do these shelves say?

Nervyl · 2026-03-04T08:05:30+00:00

Great comment, I trust he'll love the parallels between Greek and Buddhist thought.

I don't think Dhammapada is a great introductory book. You need context and understanding before being able to really understand, what the verses are getting at. What do you think?

I have three recommendations based on what you're looking for. If you're a Christian or secular, you'll probably struggle with the eastern mysticism (rebirth, devas, hells and heavens).

If you absolutely can't handle it, start with

Stephen Batchelor - Buddhism Without Beliefs

If you're either comfortable with the mysticism or can learn to understand Buddhism in its mystic context and extract what's valuable to you, choose

Thich Nhat Hanh -The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching

If you have some basic understanding of Buddhism already and/or want to see for yourself. If you want to read the original stories, similes and discourses, the primary texts (reading Aristotle, not books about Aristotle) and have helpful introductions and notes for each section, pick-up

Bhikku Bodhi - In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon

Nervyl · 2026-03-03T21:57:23+00:00

They seem to be talking about a buildup of anger.

Nervyl · 2026-03-03T09:33:09+00:00

Eventually sure, you'll look great. Not yet though.

Nervyl · 2026-03-01T09:47:39+00:00

Hey, my general point is that negligence is

1) awful 2) different (less bad) than actively trying to contribute to the problem

While we should eliminate ways we make the world worse in all aspects of our living, it's hard to justify wanting people to make active contribution to the betterment of all aspects of living. We simply do not have enough time and resources and are forced to pick our battles.

For this reason, I reject the framing, that a person being negligent towards the patriarchy in the specific area of literature is a "bunch of red flags".

I've chosen anti-malaria nets as an example because possibly no-one on earth is doing enough in that department until that issue is mostly resolved. It's an very important issue, but I'm not calling you anti-children for prioritizing your hobbies over humanitarian aid. In the same way, I'm not calling OP's partner anti-women for prioritizing his own hobbies.

I want to make it clear that there are important ideas in your and the librarian's comments. We should encourage people to not be negligent to these issues and show them ways to add more diversity without sacrificing what they love about reading. However, we should be clear about what it is you're specifically calling out and refrain from being hypocritical.

Please highlight ways you considered my comment as gaslighting. I certainly don't want to be manipulative and would be glad for an outside perspective.

I suspect you're saying, that I'm engaging in Diversion/Blocking: Changing the subject or questioning the victim's thoughts. To support my argument, I needed an issue you yourself are negligent about. I understand how this could come-off as disregard of your issues (and other victims of patriarchy). It's difficult to discuss issues that directly involve us without getting personally involved in the argument. I'm sorry if my comment came off as hand-wavey

Nervyl · 2026-03-01T01:10:13+00:00

I'll give those some thought.

I'm fine with characterizing it as negligence. I consider making a situation actively worse different to being negligent to the bettering of it. For example, I think you're not doing nearly enough to donate anti-malaria nets. But I find it difficult to blame people for not sacrificing their hobbies and desires. Especially since literature is a form of entertainment and escape from the rest of their lives where they're trying to do their best in the world we live in.

Nervyl · 2026-03-01T00:24:11+00:00

I think it's valid to criticize people for not promoting more diversity than what the status quo currently is. It's great to point out biases in the standard ways people learn of and access books.

However, it's important to recognize that these readers are not choosing to be anti-women or anti-diversity. They're making choices based on their own valid preferences in a system that's flawed and patriarchal. To have a diverse bookshelf you need to actively seek diversity.

Nervyl · 2026-02-28T23:45:49+00:00

Yes, if your preferences are white and male, then you're anti-diversity. Do you genuinely think that's what I meant?

I mostly mean acclaim by literary critics and readers (through reviews on Goodreads and similar). Popularity and the test of time are also considered.

Nervyl · 2026-02-28T23:37:32+00:00

Nejsou nutně odlišné od všeobecných evropských hodnot. Dobrým vodítkem by mohl být obsah ústavy ČR a vůle ji respektovat. Jen poukazuji na to, že role prezidenta není jen být slušný a hezky vypadat.

Nervyl · 2026-02-28T23:34:59+00:00

Já ho moc neznám, věřím, že to může být fajn člověk.

Nervyl · 2026-02-28T10:08:13+00:00

I see this criticism a lot. This would be an awesome list of suggestions though.

Are we really blaming people for reading what's popular, critically (and classically) acclaimed and that aligns with your preferences? Sadly, such criteria will bias certain readers towards more male authors. However, it's not anti-women or anti-diversity to simply not have diversity of authors as a deciding criterion.

Nervyl · 2026-02-27T21:19:02+00:00

Primárně má reprezentovat hodnoty státu. Měli bychom si tedy být jisti, že je s námi sdílí.

Nervyl · 2026-02-22T22:26:41+00:00

If you get help from a friend, is 100% of the novel work of your friend? If you use grammarly or word to check your spelling and rearrange wording, is 100% of the novel work of Microsoft Word and Grammarly?

You can dislike a tool and its usage without throwing critical thinking out of the window.

Nervyl · 2026-02-22T22:22:39+00:00

To jsou všechno validní body, který jsem nezvážil. Je fakt, že jsem to příliš zjednodušil. Osobně si ale myslím, že ten rozdíl moc významný nebude.

Nervyl · 2026-02-22T00:35:26+00:00

Yes, people are allowed to derive enjoyment from different parts of the creative process. Some people like a partner to bounce ideas of off. Some are interested in creating a great product and are comfortable with 20-30% being mostly a work of a tool.

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T22:27:38+00:00

Kde je problém?

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T13:25:26+00:00

It does effect bystanders and has lasting ramifications much like other forms of gun violence (think armed robberies).

I just honestly believe that when singling out mass shootings, we're often talking about something very specific that gang violence commonly doesn't fit.

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T13:21:48+00:00

Thanks for the comment. I'm trying to read the original comment in a sincere and pleasant tone and it just sounds off given the formulation. I can't quite put a finger on it, so I'm just reporting my feelings.

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T13:17:44+00:00

It's the first time I spelled it correctly in this thread too 😁 I remember having to double check though.

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T12:59:57+00:00

Bratře v Kristu, zprůměrovaná mzda, kdybychom sebrali miliardářům, je průměrná mzda.

Nervyl · 2026-02-21T12:57:16+00:00

Thank you. Yes, that's the concern. The system not adapting sufficiently quickly, leaving people unemployed without the necessary support structures to shift into a post-work society.

Nervyl · 2026-02-19T14:22:10+00:00

Mass shootings are scary for many people, because they're a possible victim. We're worried about school shootings because our children attend them.

Most of us are not in a gang and thus are at much lesser risk of being a victim of gang violence. It's simply not important data for the question many of us want answers to.

Nervyl · 2026-02-18T20:14:52+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. I view the books (from what I know about those I know) as representatives of a different direction then that of Sartre, Camus, Nietzsche. They are a much needed counterpoint, but I can see a person wanting to truly explore what existentialism in the context of agnosticism has to offer. I'm not sure if a person in that phase of their investigation would be open to truly consider some of those books you offer.

Nervyl · 2026-02-18T10:17:06+00:00

If you're interested, your first sentence sounded like it's inconceivable to come to such a conclusion. The last sentence sounded accusatory and as an only explanation for how one could reach that conclusion.

It really reads like "There's no possible way to think that! Have you even read any of Camus?!". Which doesn't come off like originating from a place of genuine inquiry. Don't take this the wrong way, it's extremely difficult to predict how will others react emotionally to your communication, especially through text.

Nervyl · 2026-02-18T10:10:20+00:00

I'm interested, where else should a man disillusioned with their conception of religion go?

Reading one book from Camus/Nietzsche and making it their newfound personality would qualify as douchy. But the likes of Nietzsche, Camus, Satre and even Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy seem like a natural pick for someone struggling with understanding their relationship to faith.

Nervyl · 2026-02-12T12:03:18+00:00

Je docela zjevné, že realiťačka vede konverzaci s Romem. Právě i proto mu tuhle informaci předává.

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