Becca King, Author at Shortform Books

Reason and Emotion: How to Decide Which to Listen To

How do you know whether reason or emotion is the right voice to listen to? What’s the best way to make decisions? Reason and emotion both have a role to play in making decisions and living a good life, and philosophers have suggested choosing reason over emotion or aligning reason and emotion. Understanding each of these perspectives can help you live life better. Keep reading for more on living a rational life and balancing reason with emotion.

The Confucius Philosophy of Life: Dedication to a Purpose

What is the Confucius philosophy of life? What did Confucius teach about living well? Confucius’s philosophy of life is that meaning comes from dedicating yourself to something bigger. He suggested dedicating yourself to your community and family by obeying cultural traditions and respecting elders. Learn more about what Confucius said about living well, as well as similar philosophies from other thinkers.

Trauma and Mindfulness: How to Meditate for Recovery

Can mindfulness help people with PTSD? What’s the best way to develop mindfulness if you’ve experienced trauma? Trauma and mindfulness are linked in that practicing mindfulness can aid healing. Mindfulness requires understanding yourself in an accepting way, which is critical for those with trauma, and especially for survivors of abuse. Read more for an explanation of why mindfulness can help and how to meditate for mindfulness if you have a history of trauma.

PTSD and Grief: How to Reconnect With Your Emotions

Why is it important for survivors of abuse to grieve? Can PTSD be healed in the grief process? PTSD and grief are connected because grieving allows you to feel and move through complex feelings of loss, anger, and sadness. There are distinct steps that you can follow to progress through the grieving process, separate from the well-known emotional stages of grief. Keep reading for more on grief, trauma, and healing your emotional life.

Nietzsche and Camus: No Such Thing as a “Good” Life

Statues of a man with angel and devil on each of his shoulders

What did Nietzsche and Camus teach about leading a good life? Why did they let go of the idea of pursuing goodness? Nietzsche and Camus both taught that pursuing moral goodness is not the best way to optimize your life. Looking at their philosophies, you can see how other ways of thinking can help you to make good decisions, too. Learn why Nietzsche and Camus let go of the idea of moral goodness and what they suggested instead.

CPTSD and Relationships: Recovering Socially From Abuse

Why is it hard for victims of abuse to form connections, and how can they recover? How does complex PTSD (CPTSD) influence relationships? Many people struggle with CPTSD, and relationships are hard for those who do. Because abuse has such an effect on relationships, it takes time and effort for survivors to learn to form healthy friendships. Read on for more on how trauma survivors can heal and develop healthy connections with new people.

Recovering From CPTSD by Embracing the Adequate

How can a survivor of trauma recover from CPTSD? What does it mean to embrace the adequate, and how can that help? Recovering from CPTSD is possible when you embrace the adequate, meaning that you see yourself as good enough and let go of perfectionism. You can apply the “good enough” mindset to other areas of your life, too. Continue on to see how changing your mindset can help you recover.

The Practice of Groundedness: Book Highlights and Overview

A bearded man reading a book in a cozy room.

What are the main points in The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg? What can we learn from Stulberg about the value of groundedness? In The Practice of Groundedness, author Brad Stulberg explains how our culture’s obsession with productivity has reduced our ability to stay grounded. A look at his argument and proposed solutions can give you insight into how to live more mindfully instead. Read on to learn about what groundedness is and how you can cultivate it in your life.

Heroic Individualism and Why We Obsess Over Productivity

A heroic individual looking up at a skyline in the city.

What is heroic individualism, and where does it come from? Why are so many people stuck in an extreme individualistic mindset? Heroic individualism is a mindset of thinking that you need to outperform and achieve more than other people, and it comes from overvaluing productivity. Examining the concept of heroic individualism can help you determine if you have a healthy mindset toward work and happiness. Keep reading to learn more about the origins of heroic individualism and what it looks like in practice.

How to Be Grounded: The 6 Elements of Groundedness

A man practicing how to be grounded by doing yoga surrounded by plants.

Want to know how to be grounded? What are the key elements of groundedness? Learning how to be grounded requires focusing on six components: accepting reality, living in the present, slowing down, accepting yourself, nurturing relationships, and taking care of your physical health. Once you understand all of these components, you can develop a more grounded mindset. Continue reading for more on how to cultivate groundedness.