The Wisdom of Insecurity

A Message for an Age of Anxiety

By: Alan Watts, Deepak Chopra - introduction MD

Narrated by: John Lee

An acclaimed philosopher shows us how—in an age of unprecedented anxiety—we can find fulfillment by embracing the present and living more fully in the now. He is "the perfect guide for a course correction in life" (from the Introduction by Deepak Chopra).

The brain can only assume its proper behavior when consciousness is doing what it is designed for: not writhing and whirling to get out of present experience, but being effortlessly aware of it.Alan Watts draws on the wisdom of Eastern philosophy and religion in this timeless and classic guide to living a more fulfilling life. His central insight is more relevant now than ever: when we spend all of our time worrying about the future and lamenting the past, we are unable to enjoy the present moment—the only one we are actually able to inhabit.

Watts offers the liberating message that true certitude and security come only from understanding that impermanence and insecurity are the essence of our existence. He highlights the futility of endlessly chasing moving goalposts, whether they consist of financial success, stability, or escape from pain, and shows that it is only by acknowledging what we do not know that we can learn anything truly worth knowing.

In The Wisdom of Insecurity, Watts explains complex concepts in beautifully simple terms, making this the kind of book you can return to again and again for comfort and insight in challenging times.

“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” —Los Angeles Times

Critic reviews

“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’”
—Los Angeles Times

“The wisdom of insecurity is not a way of evasion, but of carrying on wherever we happen to be stationed—carrying on, however, without imagining that the burden of the world, or even of the next moment, is ours. It is a philosophy not of nihilism but of the reality of the present—always remembering that to be of the present is to be, and candidly know ourselves to be, on the crest of a breaking wave.”
—Philip Wheelwright, Arts and Letters

“This book proposes a complete reversal of all ordinary thinking about the present state of man. The critical condition of the world compels us to face this problem: how is man to live in a world in which he can never be secure, deprived, as many are, of the consolations of religious belief? The author shows that this problem contains its own solution—that the highest happiness, the supreme spiritual insight and certitude are found only in our awareness that impermanence and insecurity are inescapable and inseparable from life. Written in a simple and lucid style, it is a timely message.”
—Book Exchange (London)

Genius

Perfect. There were a few times when his voice trailed off and I can hear words. Otherwise very welcome delivered.

It was a great listen

I like the expansive nature of its main message. I could see AW reading it with the peaceful music in the background

Meh

I love Alan Watts via YouTube especially After Skool but this is a nope. First, it's important to have the real Watts speaking. And second, he really loves to bash western Judeo-Christian religions. There's nothing enlightening about that. He also makes a convoluted justification for his drinking. Not a judgment. Just an observation. The end result is the same--nothing truly moving here, for me anyway.

Hard to go wrong with Alan Watts

Thoughtful observations as usual, well read. Good synthesis of Christianity (though pretty minimal) and Buddhism with focus on experiential truth over dogma.

True wisdom of life, the way to liberation

Such a great masterpiece from Alan Watts. True wisdom and a great reminder to enjoy present moment.