Name: Thoughts without a thinker
ISBN: 9780465039319

Thoughts without a thinker

"A decade ago, this pathbreaking book launched an explosion of interest in how Eastern spirituality can enhance Western psychology. Since then, the worlds of Buddhism and psychotherapy have been forged into a revolutionary new understanding of what constitutes a healthy emotional life. In his introduction to this tenth anniversary edition, Mark Epstein reflects on this revolution and considers how it is likely to evolve in the future."--Page 4 of cover.

What Hacker News says

curationJun 2026

LLMs do not have an unconscious, the negative dimension from which a subject can question what they. LLMs do not have desire because they are thoughts without a thinker. The problem is not LLMS but rather, that subjectivity itself is not popular in discussion. I suggest reading Freud, Lacan, Hegel for a start.

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zackattackJan 2010

Gangleader for a Day - Sudhir Venkatesh's illuminating story about the housing projects, crack gangs and community dynamics of south side chicago in the '90s.

Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely explains a lot of the idiosyncracies in everyday human behavior

Thoughts Without a Thinker - Mark Epstein's enjoyable tale about buddhism and psychotherapy

Worst:

SuperFreakonomics - Superficial, poorly written, overly patriotic cocktail party factoids

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wpietriMay 2014

I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted here. This is exactly in line with the teachings of Ajahn Chah, a noted Thai Buddhist. In Thoughts Without a Thinker, he is quoted as saying:

“You see this goblet? For me, this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on a shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ But when I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”

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