A Life-Changing Book by
UĞUR GÜRBÜZ
I Tell You.
Just as discovering ways of thinking yields richer experiences, exposure to new ideas can nourish our quality of life. As someone who avidly invests his time in mental models and philosophical books, I believe that the more open (and objective) we are to different ideologies, the closer we come to understanding nature and human beings within it.
The key I’ve found is to strive for objectivity. Expose yourself to all ideas, but sell your soul to none. With this mantra in mind, I wrote “The Concepts of Modern Wisdom.” Although I can’t claim to have found all the answers, these writings mirror my explorations of the fundamental questions about the laws of nature and humankind within it. While the manuscript draws lessons from philosophers to the natural sciences, past to present, and east to west, it is my way to share this journey with others asking themselves the same question.
“Wisdom is the basis of a sustainable and quality life.”
UĞUR GÜRBÜZ
About The Book.
If this book has fallen into your hands, you and I are likely on the same journey, striving to understand nature and humanity. Luckily, we are not alone. Throughout the ages, philosophers around the world have also grappled with the same subject from different perspectives.
In this book, you’ll find 77 modern wisdom concepts that can help you build a more sustainable and quality life by unlocking your capacity for awareness and unbinding your perceptions. These concepts are organized into eight chapters, each featuring unique mental models and philosophical perspectives from some of humanity’s brightest minds.
Chapters:
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Exploring Life’s Purpose and Meaning
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Unraveling the Human Experience
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Overcoming Prejudices
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Mastering Quality Decision Making
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Happiness and Life
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The Minimalist and Sustainable Life
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The Successful Life
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Innovative and Creative Thinking
In each category, you will find approximately ten modern wisdom concepts, each linked to an aspect of competence. However, this does not mean you will be fully skilled with the competence since the concepts are not directly teaching about the competence. Still, they provide some profound tips/ideas/perspectives/awareness related to that competence.
Competencies:
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Ability to Collaborate, Compromise and Adapt
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Analytical Thinking
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Critical Thinking
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Emotional Intelligence
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Influence and Persuasion
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Personal Motivation & Proactivity
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Quality Decision Making
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Self Awareness
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Synthesis and Simplification
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Understanding, Explaining, and Managing Change
Important To Know.
The more experiences you have in this life, the more you will benefit from these concepts because it will be easier for you to form connections in your mind as you learn them. The “mind” is an important point here because modern wisdom concepts are directly related to having a higher level of reasoning. To illustrate this with inspiration from two great thinkers: Only in the dialogue created by literature might Aristotle and Mohandas Gandhi contribute (inadvertently) to the same conversation, particularly several landmark aspects of the mind/reasoning (depicted below).
Gandhi (While the following quote is generally attributed to Ghandi, its exact origin is unclear. It eloquently captures a philosophy that aligns well with Ghandi's teachings) represented one thematic end of the spectrum when he said: ‘Watch your thoughts; they become your words and emotions. Watch your words and emotions; they become a behavior. Watch your behaviors; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your values. Watch your values; they become your destiny.' Whereas Gandhi orients the importance of thought as catalytic, Aristotle surmises that one can think anything. Still, the important thing is to put a distance between oneself and one's thoughts in order to decide which ideas should turn into words and emotions with a high level of reasoning (consciously). Accordingly, I believe that the mind is like a machine based on AI and we can build a sustainable and quality life by improving it via modern wisdom concepts.
1. EXPLORING LIFE’S PURPOSE AND MEANING
Contents.
1.1. Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It | Daniel Klein
1.2. Man's Search for Meaning | Viktor E Frankl
1.3. The Meaning of Life | Arthur Schopenhauer
1.4. Entropy as a Mental Model | Spending Energy in the Right Place!
1.5. Nausea | Jean-Paul Sartre
1.6. Nietzsche Is Dead! As a Hippopotamus Was Born Again| Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
1.7. On the Shortness of Life | Seneca
1.8. Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar | Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
1.9. The Social Contract | Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1.10. Meditations on First Philosophy | Descartes
My Story.
Hello, my name is Uğur Gürbüz, and I was born in Gaziantep, Turkey (1992). My father was a tailor, a skill he passed down to me along with many other life lessons that have shaped me not only as an author but as a person. After my hometown beginnings, I made my way to Istanbul in 2010 to pursue higher education. Boğaziçi University became my academic home from 2010 to 2015 and granted me a B.S. degree in Computer and Educational Technology. Later, at Bahçeşehir University, I found my passion for business further blossoming, culminating in a master’s degree in business administration from 2017 to 2020.
Since 2015, I've been deeply involved in various business sectors, mainly focusing on e-learning and Human Resources (HR). As of February 2022, I moved to Paris to accept an opportunity with an international bank where I was entrusted with developing the leadership skills of talented individuals by increasing their level of wisdom.
When I’m not immersed in work, my personal interests reflect my enthusiasm for life and connecting with people—especially through new languages. Mastering English while pursuing French has been a phenomenal addition to my mother tongue, Turkish. Academic pursuits aside, I would never turn down an opportunity to be outside. Whether it's diving into a game of ultimate frisbee or a camping trip, I’m always seeking out new and unique experiences.
Last but not least, the joy of learning remains a constant through my avid reading habits and exploration of how timeless wisdom manifests in the modern era. My only goal is to share some of this enthusiasm with you no matter where you are in your journey.