
Lessons from "Leisure: The Basis of Culture" by Josef Pieper.This book challenges our contemporary work-centric culture and the idea of “total work,” where the ethos of work and productivity dominates every aspect of life. Pieper argues that this shift has led to a loss of meaning and a neglect of the liberal arts, which traditionally have been a space for leisure and the cultivation of individual freedom.Josef Pieper was a professor of philosophy at the University of Munster. He was schooled specifically in Greek philosophy and Thomas Aquinas, law and sociology.Becomingantifragile.comTo commission sacred art and icons: Ikranrinmakan.com
Dec 1, 2025
41 min

Read all the posts here: Becomingantifragile.comIkranrinmakan.com
Sep 17, 2025
31 min

Lessons from 'Chandogya Upanisad'I recommend listening to '071: How To Build An Inner House of Peace Amid A Chaotic World - Juan Mascaró' first if you haven't already.Chandogya Upanishad is one of the most cited texts in later Bhasyas (reviews and commentaries) by scholars from the diverse schools of Hinduism, with chapter six, verse 8-16 containing the famous dictum Tat Tvam Asi, Thou Art That. And the Chandogya is one of the oldest Upanishads, often listed as the 9th.-Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/supportArt: https://ikranrinmakan.com/
May 22, 2025
43 min

Lessons from 'Out of Solitude' by Henri J.M. Nouwen.Henri Nouwen was a Professor of Religion and Theology at Yale University, the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Divinity. He left his academic post to join L’ Arche, a community that helps people with disability.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/Get the book: https://amzn.to/4jVNoH7
May 14, 2025
52 min

Lessons from reading Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (1960 - present).Skin in the Game argues that many of the world's problems spring from decision-makers unwilling to bear the risks of their ideas. Taleb argues that having skin in the game is necessary in life, commerce, and politics.Nassim Taleb is a scholar, former options trader, statistician, and risk analyst. Taleb is known for his work on probabilities, randomness, and risk.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/Purchase:USA: https://amzn.to/4jAem6O
May 6, 2025
44 min

Lessons from 'Meditations on Silence' by Sister Wendy Beckett.Sister Wendy Beckett was a contemplative nun from the 1970s. She passed away in 2018. She earned a first-class degree from Oxford. Health issues led her to adopt a hermit's life in a caravan on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, England, where she devoted herself to prayer and the study of art. Her insightful and accessible commentary brought art to a broad audience, making her a beloved figure in both religious and art circles.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/-Buy the book: https://amzn.to/44PRlIp
Apr 30, 2025
34 min

Lessons from 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan' by Inazo NitobeIn this book, Nitobe breaks down the Bushido ethical system into 11 parts: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, truthfulness, honor, duty of loyalty, samurai training, self-control, and seppuku.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/-USA: https://amzn.to/445jcUQ
Apr 23, 2025
47 min

Lessons from 'Life of Moses'. Gregory of Nyssa (335-394 AD) was a bishop of the town of Nyssa and one of the founders of mystical theology within Christianity. 'The Life of Moses' is a monumental book for mysticism in Christian tradition. Gregory sees Moses's life as a template for our spiritual life.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/-Buy the book:https://amzn.to/4ly2545
Apr 16, 2025
1 hr

Lessons from 'Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life' by Richard Rohr. Rohr is a Franciscan priest, author, and served as Chaplain for 14 years at the Albuquerque county jail.In 'Falling Upward' Rohr offers insights from the wisdom tradition for understanding one of the most profound mysteries of life: how killing our egoic transient Self is the beginning of wisdom. He draws on myths, poems, sacred scriptures.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/-USA: https://amzn.to/4jnmmHN
Apr 9, 2025
32 min

Lessons from 'When Breathe Becomes Air' by Paul KalanithiPaul Kalanithi was a neurosurgeon, writer, and a young father. He was completing his residency training in neurological surgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at Standford when he was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. He died in March 2015, 22 months after. 'When Breathe Becomes Air' is a memoir and Paul's story of battling lung cancer. It was posthumously published on January 12, 2016.Ways to Support:Substack: https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/Art: https://ikranrinmakan.com/-USA: https://amzn.to/3xWPaEL
Apr 1, 2025
42 min
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