Missing Out: In Praise Of The Unlived Life (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This is a book about the pre-conditions of human motivation. The title and sub-title are somewhat misleading. The work is not so much an examination of what might have been, and a detailed analysis of the forces that account for our need to question possibilities in the first place. Phillips is inspired by Stanley Cavell and he successfully elucidates and expands upon Cavell's Wittgnesteinian project. The book is a great primer on motivation. **Missing it on Missing Out**My head is still spinning from this book. And, unfortunately, not in a productive way. Similar to the experience of other reviewers, I had expectations that this book would offer a useful exploration of how looking at the yet-unlived aspects of our lives can help guide us towards more meaningful lives. Perhaps I was lured by the subtitle of “In praise of the unlived life” and the reviews on the back, which, in retrospect, were more about the undelivered promises found in the prologue of the book. (I’m kind of thinking these reviewers never actually made it through the remainder of the book.) To me, the book (following the promising prologue) was a series of mental ramblings thrown together that provided a tour of the author’s own personal intellectual pet projects. Much of the book consisted of the author’s exploring ad nauseam the concepts and definitions of the words and phrases of "frustration," “not getting it,” “getting away with it,” “getting out of it,” “satisfaction,” and “madness” with a dizzying array of citations from Freud and Shakespeare. Maybe I was missing out (subtitle pun intended) on something, but I did not find these mental wanderings to be interesting or useful. It felt like the author was not writing for an audience, but for himself. Some readers may love the content, style, and impressive attempts to marry psychoanalysis and Shakespeare, but, it just didn’t work so well for me. On the bright side, I need not wonder if I was missing out by not reading _Missing Out_.
What do You think about Missing Out: In Praise Of The Unlived Life (2012)?
Title is misleading. More about human behavior than accepting what you do not have. Psych 101.
—Tara
I gave it about 10 pages ... and gave up. Just didn't hold my interest.
—ColaMarie
Wish I read it earlier in my life. Best read in years.
—slabuschagne
Gave up on it. Pretentious, turgid and incoherent.
—Pleng
