#19 Self Control - Its Kingship and Majesty

Self Control - Its Kingship and Majesty by William George Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Context & Why I read this book
"Self-Control" was on my reading list since I am currently doing wide reading about what is loosely termed willpower.

What is the book about as a whole?
Were it not for me actively seeking out books with titles that include "willpower", "self-control" etc this year, I never would've come across this treasure. This book is about much more than self-control. It's about Character, Happiness, Success, Power, Mindfulness, Simplicity and the Good Life. It's on of the classical and "true" Self-Help books that stood the test of time.

The book's structure
The short book is divided into 16 short essays (each only about 4 pages long):
I. The Kingship of Self-Control
II. The Crimes of the Tongue
III. The Red Tape of Duty
IV. The Supreme Charity of the World
V. Worry, the Grease American Disieas
VI. The Greatness of Simplicity
VII. Living Life Over Again
VIII. Syndicating Our Sorrows
IX. The Revelations of Reserve Power
X. The Majesty of Calmness
XI. Hurry, the Scourge of America
XII. The Power of personal Influence
XIII. The Dignity of Self-Reliance
XIV. Failure as a Success
XV. Doing Our Best at All Times
XVI. The Royal Road to Happiness

One lesson
The lesson I have taken from this first read-through relates to the definition of "regrets" in life. I've for a long time maintained a list of things to engage in, so that I "won't regret not having done them"; considering "having regrets" as something bad. But Jordan makes clear in his book, that a "life without regret" is a life in vain and without gain. Jordan defines regret as "the light of fuller wisdom, from our past, illumining our future" and he maintains that if "regret remains merely 'regret'" it is indeed useless. But if instead it is used as a means for new "revelation of new possibilities" and "inspiration" then it's a source of strength for new wisdom and power. Contemplating and acknowledging the regrets you already have as well as not fearing regrets in the future and using them to fuel your actions can make for truly great experiences.

Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
I immediately added this to my to-read-again list. I definitely would recommend reading it. It is a very short and worthwhile read and I expect most people to get something out of this. Overall this is a 8 out of 10 (⭑⭑⭑⭑) on my personal scale.

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#16 Behavioral Self Control | Book Review

Behavioral Self Control by Carl E. Thoresen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Context & Why I read this book
"Behavioral self-control" was on my reading list since I am currently doing wide reading about what is loosely termed willpower. I was familiar with one of the authors, Mahoney, who has written one of my favorite works on self-change.

What is the book about as a whole?
This book is about what was scientifically known about "self-control" and what methodological issues were present at the time (1974).

The book's structure
The book is divided in 7 chapters:
1. Self-Control: An Introduction (Relevance, Concept, Criteria, General Strategies)
2. Methodological issues in Self-Control (External Control, Extraneous Variables, Experimental Design, Reliability)
3. Self-Observation (Analysis, Methods, Studies)
4. Self-Reward (Laboratory Research, Clinical Applications, Issues)
5. Self-Punishment and Aversive Self-Regulation (Concept, Endurance&Restraint, Laboratory Analogues, Applications)
6. Covert Self-Control (Antecedents, Target Behaviors, Consequences, Problems & Prospects)
7. Summary and Implications (Methodological Problems, Techniques, Behavioral Humanism, Therapy, Personal Freedom)

One lesson
Apart from learning how to categorize self-regulation strategies at one disposal — namely, Environmental Planning vs. Behavioral Programming (Self-Observation, Self-Reward, Self-Punishment) — I was most intrigued by the fact that as early as 1974, Mahoney seems to conclude that the "key to self-mastery is not to be found in appeals to willpower and other presumed inner resources, but rather in awareness", by which he means "the knowledge of how to use various stimuli to increase and decrease certain responses". This, to my knowledge, somewhat runs against the more contemporary and popular works of for instance Anders Ericsson (Peak) who seems to focus more on the willpower concept itself.

Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
This book is written for a scientific audience and includes many detailed studies. Since it was written nearly 50 years ago there probably have been quite some advancements in the area. However, the author did a great job of writing a scientific, objective, and timeless work and thus I feel it is very much worth a read for the interested reader. This grant a 7 out of 10 (⭑⭑⭑⭑) on my personal rating scale, which translates into "Good read, despite minor weaknesses; generally recommended".

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#11 Self Reliance | Book Review

Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Context & Why I read this book
Book no. 11 in my "year of Ratio & Will".

What is the book about as a whole?
This is a book about integrity relying on your authentic inner self as the only true path in life.

The book's structure
This book is based on an essay and therefore is rather short and has no chapters.

One lesson
Right away in the introduction, Emerson puts forth the importance of not envying others for their achievements and especially not imitating them, as the latter equals suicide of the true self. This - in my opinion - is one of the most basic and important concepts a person can ever understand. Yet basic is not the same as easy and I know that after many years I am surly still working on it.

Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
Certainly not an easy read. But definitely a profound one. I have to defer my final judgment until I can read this more analytically since I barely understood anything on this first readthrough.

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#9 The Undefeated Mind | Book Review

The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self by Alex Lickerman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Context & Why I read this book
I'm aiming to read 52 books in 2021, many of which follow the slogan "A Year of Ratio & Will". This is the 8th book I finished. My motivation with this book was quite obvious: I wanted to know what the author has to say about how to construct an "Indestructible Self".

What the book is about
This is a book about how to develop a "strong life force" or personality hardiness: the capacity to survive and even thrive under difficult conditions.
This book is comprised of 10 chapters:
1| The Meaning of Victory
2| Find Your Mission
3| Make a Vow
4| Expect Obstacles
5| Stand Alone
6| Accept Pain
7| Let Go
8| Appreciate the Good
9| Encourage Others
10| Muster Your Courage

In each chapter the author starts of with referencing a dozen or so studies and then mixes in the story of one of his patients. Essentially, the author summarizes theses chapters towards the end as follows: "For we can resist discouragement by articulating our life's mission; accomplish that mission by making a great determination; overcome the obstacles that naturally arise when we make such a determination by changing poison into medicine; gain the strength to change poison into medicine by accepting responsibility and standing against injustice; endure pain by accepting it and loss by letting go ofwhat we cannot keep; enjoy what we have by learning to appreciate it and help ourselves through trauma by helping others; conquer fear by leveraging our connections to the ones we love. And, finally, I realized, gain inspiration from others who've managed to forge an undefeated mind of their own....

One lesson I am taking from it
There are some nuggets contained in "The Undefeated Mind". I especially appreciated the sources provided by the author e.g. quotes from his school of Buddhism like "Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one's real strength." However, one specific thing I will try to take with me is
that I will actually strive to attain what the author calls an "undefeated mind": not just to rebound quickly from adversity or to face it calmly, even confidently, without being pulled down by depression or anxiety, but also to get up day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade-even over the course of an entire lifetime-and attack the obstacles in front of us again and again and again until they fall, or we do. This, I think, is an honorable goal and certainly one that fits into the slogan of my 2021.

Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
This is a rather long and tiresome read. It took me 13+ hours to fight through the 250 pages of the book. Partly, because the author's writing style is not easily digestible but rather exhausting (even though the author does use simple terms) . Secondly, because much of the book feels like vague generalizations from his patients and personal life (even though the book contains 20 pages of references). Third, because the author is a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism and way to often refers to his personal life stores and that he used "chanting" to get through (all of which, if it were removed without replacement, would have made for a better, less self-centered book). In summary, this is a 4 out of 10 on my personal rating scale:
1 ⭑ — Abysmal; extremely bad. Couldn't / wouldn't finish. No one should waste his time on this!
2 ⭑— Very bad; skipped part of it; skimmed most of it.
3 ⭑⭑ — Bad, but forced me to finish; close to no nuggets to be found.
4 ⭑⭑ — Rather bad; finished but definitely would not give it a re-read.
5 ⭑⭑⭑ — Modest; a few nuggets; reading recommended in certain circumstances
6 ⭑⭑⭑ — OK; the average read. Tangible weaknesses, but recommended with some reservations
7 ⭑⭑⭑⭑ — Good read, despite minor weaknesses; generally recommended
8 ⭑⭑⭑⭑ — Very good; would recommend nearly without restriction
9 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ — An outstanding work; worthwhile to be read twice or more often; a definitive recommendation
10 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ — A work of genius; should be required for everyone

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