--- ## Notes [[Philosophy should be overwhelming]] ## Highlights Great philosophical works should first overwhelm us and stimulate new ways of thinking. This process is inherently painful and disorientating, but this is where the adventure begins. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h3jysnktq0a821m2fqz72pa5)) I highly recommend René Descartes’ _Meditations on First Philosophy_ as a good place to start. You mentioned the role of meditation in your life, and Descartes essentially framed this short book as a philosophical meditation. I recommend ignoring all the secondary sources and dipping into it cold. Read the book in six days, and meditate on it. The book will confuse you, and some sections will not make much sense, but the point is to appreciate confusion and let Descartes’ thought experiments take you to interesting places. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h3jysam79m2mhwvr32mqfzh1)) when this mystery starts to dull when you’re getting intellectually comfortable, it’s time to pick up another thinker and start the process all over again. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h3jytdnbx2cqd240fcknngje))