Book Review: Of A Life Well Lived

While growing up, we were led to believe that academic and professional achievements were primary to leading a good life and that being a good human being is important, but secondary. The author’s introspective enquiry of this subject reverses the priorities, although it is important to note that each of us must find our own individual goal and path.

Many interesting topics are covered here, including not being boxed in by other’s expectations of us, pursuing curiosities, art, economics, politics, world affairs, careers, one’s own inflated ego, desires, morality, forming intimate relationships, family bonds, religion, spirituality and, learning from Indian and world classics. The author provides many leads to pursue our own curiosity in each of these topics, like a list of books to read.

The topic of socialism comes up many times as a great ideal but degenerates to statism in practice. There are reported conversations about socialism with political leaders like Indira

Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and L. K. Advani. One can’t but agree with the author’s point that the licence-permit-inspector Raj lost us two generations of growth. He blames Nehru for it, even as he expresses admiration for Nehru for unifying a diverse country, promoting liberty, building essential infrastructure etc. At one point, the author also credits Nehru with being so loved by the Indian Army that the idea of coups never took hold, unlike in our neighborhood.

There are also clear warnings about the dangerous majoritarianism phase that India currently is in. Secularists are also called out for their fundamentalist antipathy to Indian traditions. The importance of democracy, prosperity, and social harmony as the attributes of a successful nation are pointed out.

A nice argument is made against the familiar idea that desire is the root of all suffering. Like all of us, the author has enjoyed the pleasures that come from achieving desires and makes a case for such enjoyment even if it is followed by gaps of boredom or even suffering.

While he candidly admits that self-concern is still important to him, he arrives at the conclusion that being “other directed” over “self-directed” is his “moksha” or path to true fulfillment. But do note that this is on top of living up to the full potential of our capabilities and not about simply giving up.

The author has enjoyed much worldly success in business and as a writer and this could not have happened without a lot of hard work. It is this worldly success he has achieved that makes his introspection very credible, as opposed to a monk with nothing arriving at the same conclusion.