A few days ago, I finished a book, Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande. I'll briefly talk about what it made me feel before I summarise the book. Usually, I don't summarise books, unless they move or shock me. In this case, it managed to do both nicely. Some parts of the book seemed to drone on and on. Some stuffs were repeated way too often. But the repetition wasn't wholly useless. I think I needed reminders and more illustrations of the same few ideas, though the repetition could've been more succinct. The book made a lot of sense though. I didn't feel like I was wasting my time. This is the first non-fiction book I've read in years. (I have to sadly admit that I no longer have as much patience as before to finish a book because fics have narrowed my preferences.)

Okay. The book taught me a couple of things. The most important lesson is that we lack empathy. A lot of the truths in the book were so simple, hidden in plain sight, but they're also new information to many of us, simply because we always look, but we remain unseeing. I'm starting to really understand that we all know so little even about the most obvious things. In the book, the author discussed how children tend to only focus on their parents' safety when choosing the right nursing home for them. Often parents wind up spending their last couple of years in a stifling environment, with their days being stripped of the things that matter most -- independence, freedom and a reason to live, or, in summation, life. It's understandable that we usually don't clearly see these reasons quickly. But is it acceptable that we don't realise them in time, before we select the type end-of-life care that our parents should receive? Not until we are old and ill too? The biggest problems sometimes have the simplest solutions. A serious conversation with your parents about what they want when they're sick, and what will they are willing and unwilling to sacrifice can save a lot of trouble. It's time to know more so we may regret less.

Second, our perception of time can completely change the way we live. According to a couple of studies, it doesn't matter how old you are, you tend to live simply as long as you think you're going to die. You spend more time with those you really love. You appreciate the feeling of sunlight on your skin. It's not possible, of course, for us to spend so much time on what really matters all the time. But maybe we should consciously try to do more of what we love.

I think those are the main points discussed in the book. Now, I'll summarise everything.

Labels: serious thinky stuffs