I was first introduced to Alan Watts by a friend. They had forwarded me a video that involved a lecture by him, and I thought it was fascinating. I watched a few more, kept the ideas, and promptly forgot his name. I was later reintroduced by a teacher who wanted us to think about our futures without anything in the way. She wanted us to think about a world that was our own. So I thought about it.
What if money was no object? It's a good question for considering your future, and one of the best ways to really get thinking about it. I've listened to the video a few times while having a particularly hard day, thinking about my degree and what kind of future it would bring. If I remember that I'm doing something I enjoy, then the money won't matter nearly as much as the life that I'm living.
But Alan Watts has more to say than just thoughts about our futures.
He has lectures on how we view society and how life affects us, from considering life a game to trying to get us to look for the meaning behind our lives. The most important part of his videos is that he makes me think. He probably makes other people think, too, but he makes me really consider parts of myself and think about the life that I'm living.
Many of his lectures focus on the self and the world around it. The way that a person interacts with the world and themselves; all of it laid out in a way that makes you think about how while so small, you are so much more than small.
He talks extensively about anxiety and worry, as well as the cycles that we put ourselves through. He talks about the way that we think and never stop thinking. He talks about how we don't stop to try and quiet ourselves and experience the world around us.
And while I don't necessarily agree with every single thing that Alan Watts has to say about humanity, especially in the western culture, I do appreciate the thoughts he has, and the thoughts that he inspires in me.
For anyone that has been thinking about their lives, I would highly recommend listening to some of the things that he has to say. Don't necessarily take it to heart, but let the message inspire some thoughts of its own.
