THE WISDOM OF INSECURITY A Message for an Age of Anxiety

This book is short as many reviewers point out. However, it is not short on wisdom. In fact, it is loaded with powerful insights, analogies and examples that illustrate universal truths. It also embraces the reality of mystery and paradox. It doesn't try to explain them away and encourages the reader to avoid killing the "alivenss" of the world by putting too many things in boxes (i.e. concepts). Instead, it encourages an attitude of openness, wonder and awe at the miracle of life and seeking direct contact with reality.

This book deals with the big existential questions and the problem of anxiety and insecurity. In my opinion, it is one of Alan Watts' best book, if not his very best book. He approaches his topic from an Eastern point of view, but one that a Western person could easily relate to. Alan Watts is a gifted author and a master of using language to convey complex concepts in easy to understand ways.

Alan Watts is a great storyteller. In his book, The Wisdom of Insecurity, he cuts it straight to the point about life, religion, and the general meaning of mans inevitable battle between mind and matter. He purposes arguments from different views of western vs eastern religion. This book is easy to follow and very informative. Highly recommend as a buy!

The book, which could easily be retitled "Timefulness", having been written over 60 years ago, is timeless, which is to both compliment the author and to serve as testimony to the meaning of his message. Simply put, the beauty of living lies in its fluid nature of time and to appreciate it in the moment requires that we understand the futility of focusing on future expectations of security at the expense of insecurity. Security without insecurity is but a mere illusion; they are both sides of the same coin. With apologies to Judy Collins, "Something's simultaneously lost and gained in a life worth living every day. I've looked at life from both sides now and it's life's illusions that obscure the way." A solid five stars for those in this world who truly wonder; one star for all others.

Be prepared to perhaps be offended, challenged and or at least put in a position in which you are forced to question some of the beliefs that might have given you a sense of security in the past. I loved it and look forward to reading more of his work.

Superb treatise on how live without restrictions by accepting change and learning to live with it without trying to rationalize it. We master change by understanding that there is no escape from it and by accepting it without opposing it.

Ugh. I've heard such good things about Alan Watts... but this just wasn't for me. It's full of trite self-help platitudes and doesn't really offer anything that people don't already know, themselves. Boring.

I enjoyed reading this book; however, I felt that it was light conjecture and for lack of a better description, off the cuff, perhaps dated. There is one quote, well over halfway into the book that resonated with me, but I have forgotten it by now. That seems to be the case for much of what is stated in this book; the insights don't strike me as rare or what one wouldn't find upon living their own life. It may be possible that these insights were revolutionary when the book was first written, but no longer and this, at least for me, disqualifies the book as a classic. This may be a good starting point for younger people or those who've had little experience with Buddhism, eastern philosophy or reflection in navigating the uncertainty of life. For a better guide, I recommend Phillip Moffett's Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering, which is wonderful and a book I return to often since its publication in 2008.

This was a disappointing purchase as the book had three pages that were damaged and torn and also prevented the reading of several sentences. I can only assume that it was done intentionally or that no predelivery check of the book had been done. Either way, it was a great disappointment!

Alan Watts is a self loving, self promoting, sin-loving person. His whole premise is on SELF and finding happiness in self. The whole purpose of life in Alan Watt's world is finding happiness and doing anything and everything to fulfill that mindset. He is a self absorbed, extremely narcissistic person whose whole purpose of living is to tell others that THEY are god and religion makes us followers and worshipers of a god that doesn't exist. He pointed out that in Bible verse John 1:1 point to the WORD that this actually means "our thought" and not Jesus. In conclusion, Alan Watt's was a deeply deceived by himself to think that he is god. If this man is dead, I'm sure he would NOT like being in Heaven since it is all about God so going to Hell for eternity would be ideal and what he wished for.

This book's provocative title prompted me to pick it up at a used book store. As my life is built on a foundation of insecurity, I felt that Mr. Watts might provide some intellectual ammunition for making a virtue out of my necessity. As I started reading though, I became increasingly bothered by the book's resemblance to modern New Age texts, with its use of vague, pretentious language that meant precisely nothing. My first reaction was surprise that aspiring gurus had mastered the technique as early as 1951. My second reaction was to throw down the book in disgust.

Cloaked in the mantle of psychological pseudoscience, Mr. Watts attempts to present Zen Buddhism to the West. What is the sound of one hand clapping? I don't know, and neither does Mr. Watts. Nor does he know how to form a coherent thought. However, he is expert at writing sentences of such ostensible profundity, but innate fatuousness, that several generations of people have questioned their own intelligence and comprehension rather than doubt this guru's worthiness.

Look- this book is a perfect example of how the intellectual bandwagon works. Once a New York critic praises you, which is what happened back in the 30s and 40s, other intellectuals, afraid of being out-of-step, will become fervent backers of the work in question and start a process where the whole class of elite lemmings, generation after generation, will have you in reprints for 80 years. It's nothing but an exercise in peer pressure, with very unintelligent- but very affluent and influential- people being so desperate to be thought of as wise. They've rejected their own gods and are in search of something to fill the void. Into that space step confident and charismatic people like Mr. Watts, with volumes of "spiritual" sounding claptrap, and these seekers can all congratulate themselves for being smarter than the common slob.

I was shocked to see that this book had 76 reviews. Why?? The reviewers can't even explain what's so great about the book or even summarize its main points. They simply gush over the "insight", the "mastery", the "wisdom", etc. Such is the nature of the Emperor and his new clothes. Snap out of it!

A lucid argument showing how dogma, fear and the desire for "security" and "stability" perverts religion (faith) and science (being prepared to research and accept facts without a preconception of the findings). So, in equal parts about faith and knowledge - the most dynamic and interesting of partners.

But, more than anything, about being in the moment. The real feat is that that is exactly what it feels like to read the wonderful Mr. Watts. Not many writers command this skill, and so effortlessly. Hearing Alan Watts is always a fully engaging experience, especially if you don't have trouble with listening with an attentive and open mind.

However you approach this western master, you will, at the very least, be entertained, challenged and energized (to stay here now).

Who should read it - who is it for? Well it's not for the you that you think you are. And that is precisely why everyone should read it.

His wit, his piercing insight and cleverness at explaining the unexplainable has been duly noted, so I'll leave that to the side and comment on something a bit more subtle but equally delightful and delicious: His nuanced way of speaking, his style and elegance, his ease with the subject matter, and his sense of humor about it all. His voice is at once conversational and authoritative. And no one can turn a phrase with quite the same panache.

Nowhere is this flair more evident than in these "Wattsisms," as I have referred to them in the past:

"To feel that life is meaningless unless 'I' can be permanent is like having fallen desperately in love with an itch."

Or, this one, which also nicely captures the book's main theme:

"A society based on the quest for security is nothing but a breath-retention contest in which everyone is as taut as a drum and as purple as a beet."

And, just for good measure:

"You want peace of mind, but the attempt to pacify it is like trying to calm the waves with a flat-iron."

Like another reviewer, I had the good fortune of crossing paths with this book when I was young. And the better fortune of recognizing something special and snagging it up. It is undoubtedly part of the story of how I myself, became a Zen Buddhist, as well as a teacher of eastern philosophy.

And how wonderful that in this capacity I'm able to share the brilliance of Alan Watts with my own students.

The book, which could easily be retitled "Timefulness", having been written over 60 years ago, is timeless, which is to both compliment the author and to serve as testimony to the meaning of his message. Simply put, the beauty of living lies in its fluid nature of time and to appreciate it in the moment requires that we understand the futility of focusing on future expectations of security at the expense of insecurity. Security without insecurity is but a mere illusion; they are both sides of the same coin. With apologies to Judy Collins, "Something's simultaneously lost and gained in a life worth living every day. I've looked at life from both sides now and it's life's illusions that obscure the way." A solid five stars for those in this world who truly wonder; one star for all others.

In my days of insecurity this was very helpful. To accept your vulnerabilities might be hard for a lot of people because of reasons. So it's pretty amazing to have people who can communicate through words right into ones silly mind that not to worry-- about a thing. Cause 'erry little thing, is gonna be allright. Rise up this morning. Smile with the rising sun. Three little birds, pitch by my doorstep. Singing sweet songs, of melodies pure and true. Saying: "this is my message to you".

TL;DR: After this book birds will talk to you.

This book basically scared the pants off of me at times but once it sunk in it made sense and gave me the most wonderful feeling of calm. I am reading it again as I blew through it in one day upon first reading. I couldn't put it down. It basically addresses the individual's Worrier sub-personality. Where The Worrier asks "what if" this book is like a huge, convincing "So What!"

Alan Watts is definitely in the process of changing my life for the better. I've only read two books from him and so far this one is the best. On the heels of this book, I'm reading all of his works.

If you have any doubts about reading this book, don't. Just buy it and read it. It'll make your life better.

It's hard to believe this book was written decades ago. Everything Alan Watts talks about is in complete alignment with the needs of today's world.
Our current paradigm is missing the mark. " The Wisdom of Insecurity" is a vital reading that can help reboot our way of thinking that is long
overdue. It is time to wake from our current culture's programing and embrace a wider view.
This book should be required reading for people who feel in their hearts that there is more that's going on then what our western educational system,
and monotheistic religions indoctrinate us with.

This book is an excellent place to start reading philosophy. _The Wisdom of Insecurity_ was obviously written for the layman, making it ideal for those who are new to this type of nonfiction. In it, Alan Watts explains to us various ways of accepting and dealing with anxiety and insecurity in spiritual matters. This technique of acceptance was clearly derived from the Hindu and Buddhist methods of establishing a calm and mellow outlook on life. Like these great Eastern religions, Alan Watts does not try to tackle issues of theological truth head-on, but instead sidesteps the eternal questions. This is not because he is incapable of dealing with more complex metaphysical issues - he does so in great depth in his other, longer works. Neither is this method of sidestepping our sources of anxiety an evasion of rational, empirical truth. This book is not a rigorous empiricist study, and never claimed to be. It is instead a psychotheapeutic work verging on the anti-intellectual, but at the same time embracing meditation and contemplation. Watts shows us ways to act out our love for wisdom and enlightenment by concentrating on the positive and accepting (but not dwelling on) disturbing questions which he considers to be unanswerable. This is not an atheistic work nor is it a tale of despair. This is a work infused with hope, while being mindful of the truth. It succeeds in treading a sort of middle ground between the love of knowledge and anti-intellectualism.
The only problem with this book is its short length, although some might consider this an advantage. If you are looking for a more in-depth and rigorous study, try _Behold the Spirit_ or _Psychotherapy East and West_, also by Alan Watts.

Really, the main bullet point that you should absorb from this book is that you and your experiences are not separate. It directly addresses the misconceptions we have about ourselves due to the aspects of culture and confusion of the representations that are language or symbols with actual reality.

Personally, this book has helped relieved overbearing social anxiety and for that reason I regard it as a gem for conquering it and other forms of anxiety. I have highlighted a profound amount of lucid text throughout this book and it is the epitome of wisdom. It contains just as much relevance today as the time it was published. I think everyone should take a glimpse into what Alan W. Watts suggested to the world.

Ordered with prime and arrived when expected. Book wasn't rolled up or bent out of shape. And of course the content was wonderful. There's something really rad about the way Alan manages to relate sensational ideas and philosophy to the lay-person. Answering the questions that your average person would ask about his ideas, and making analogies that are really straightforward so you don't lose your train of thought as you process what he's saying. Great quality print, great read, and a great author.

This is my first introduction to Alan Watts and I can't recommend this book enough. The lessons and insights he imparts upon the reader in this book provides one with the tools necessary to live more fully in the present moment, to handle stress and life's challenges in a completely different way. In such a short amount of time, I can say that the insights and teachings gleaned from this book have forever changed my perspective, outlook, and ultimately, my disposition on life.

This was a great read. Alan Watts gives beautiful perspective in a time that is is all to easy to get caught up in being self centered and anxious. He also brings in a great message of mindfulness and presence. Alan Watts is fantastic (check out his audio in podcasts if you like him) and this is my favorite read of his so far.

Get this book alone for Watts's lucid discussion of belief vs faith and how he reconciles science with faith. He puts succinctly what many argue about endlessly. Additionally, how he touches upon our need for true meaning and in its absence, we distract ourselves with the fad of the moment hit home for me. Though old, this book will remain relevant to many for a long time.

A must have! Beautiful, paradoxical, the Truth at its best. The integration of this understanding brings great peace. I live and teach the application of this philosophy and its great to have it reworded and presented in this way.

Allan Watts provides a brilliant and readily understandable explanation of the philosophy of the Tao without ever directly refering to the Tao. After having read the book a conservative Texan friend said "You blew my mind" and she started to take charge of her life. A MUST READ for all!