Debt is not a simple "yes" or "no" concept - it has different levels that impact your life. Just like income, understanding these debt levels will help you make better financial decisions.

Intro

In this level, carrying cash is the only option. You have no debt or credit, and don’t owe anyone anything. Your spending is limited to what’s in your pocket. This can be considered as the purest form of financial independence. Two types of people in this category - <ol><li class="ql-align-justify">those who live far below their means and have nothing to their name</li><li class="ql-align-justify">those who are homeless and don't have any assets. </li></ol>Although unhoused people have more wealth than those in high levels of debt, cash only living limits your options. You can’t build credit, expand or take on may risks, but you’re also protected from debt.

Level 1 (Cash Only)

The real challenge at this level is deciding whether it’s holding you back or keeping you safe.

What are payday loans?<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Quick loans with high interest rates</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Easy to get, but can lead to debt and worsen financial situation (Buy now, pay later schemes)</li></ul>Who uses payday loans?<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">around 12 million Americans per year</li><li class="ql-align-justify">People making under $40,000 a year</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Typically used by those already in a difficult financial situation</li></ul>If you're considering a payday loan, think twice. It may seem like a quick fix, but it can lead to a never-ending cycle of debt!

level 2 (Payday Loans)

Revolving debt involves credit cards, which can be a convenient way to pay for things but can also lead to debt if not managed properly. Here's how they work:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">When you use a credit card, the bank pays for your purchase, and you have to pay them back at the end of the month.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If you don't pay the full amount, interest is added to your balance until you do.</li></ol>This means that even small purchases can quickly add up and become difficult to pay off. Remember: Keep track of your spending and always pay off your balance in full if possible.

Level 3 (Revolving Debt)

The credit card companies don't care if you bought groceries paid your rent or bought a new TV. All it cares about is if you're not able to pay it off and that's where the money is, to make money it has to trap you into a cycle, where you're always a little behind payments.

If you thought level three was expensive, level four is even more demanding. It's all about borrowing money for big purchases and long-term commitments like a car or an apartment. Although they call it "financing," it's just like using a credit card. You get a loan to make the purchase, and you pay it off in regular installments + interest for 3 to 7 years. But beware, you're paying a lot more than the initial price, and the item you're buying will lose value over time.In fact, it might even restrict your future choices, as you'll constantly have to make those hefty payments!

Level 4 (financing)

Student loans have gained the notion of "good debt" at this level. It's not about buying something but investing in your future. Education leads to a high-paying job. However, the reality differs. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In 2025, over 44 million Americans owe student debt, which is over $1.7 trillion (more than Australia's GDP). </li><li class="ql-align-justify"> At 18/19, students are convinced to take a six-digit loan for their career </li><li class="ql-align-justify">With a degree, comes income. But job opportunities often fall short. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Even if you graduate, the average paying time is 20 years </li></ul>

Level 5 (Student Loans)

A mortgage can seem like a smart move, but it's important to understand the risks and responsibilities that come with it.Banks gave mortgages to people who couldn't afford them, causing the 2008 financial crisis. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Mortgages make you a homeowner, but they also make you a long-term renter</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Missing payments can result in losing your home and financial stability</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It's essential to understand the risks and responsibilities of owning a home with a mortgage</li></ul>

Level 6 (Mortgages)

Buying a house is the most significant purchase most people make, but it's not a risk-free investment.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">You'll be paying back hundreds of thousands of dollars over 20-30 years</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Mortgages are marketed as "good" debt, but they come with potential risks</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The market, job stability, interest rates, and maintenance all impact your investment</li></ul> Remember: a mortgage is a long-term commitment impacts your financial future. So do your research, understand the risks, and make informed decisions to achieve your homeownership dream!

When it comes to business loans, you are no longer borrowing money but raising capital. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">This type of debt is a financial tool that can help your business grow and earn more than it costs. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">At this level, you will encounter lines of credit, equipment financing, bridge loans, and term sheets.</li></ul>The key difference: Personal debt is based on your past, while business debt is based on your potential.

Level 7 (Business Loans)

Lenders are interested in your business's earning potential and scalability, not just your personal savings. This means that if used correctly, business debt can become a powerful weapon to launch your business faster, hire a team, and cover expenses while your cash flow catches up. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Remember, 20% of businesses fail in the first year, so there is still a risk factor involved.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be mindful of personal guarantees - if your business fails, the debt will follow you.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If used wisely, business debt can be a ladder to success, but it can also break you if not managed properly.</li></ul>

Personal debt is based on your past, business debt is based on your potential. Lenders aren't looking at how much you've saved they're looking at how much you can build; can your business make money.

Leveraged investments are when you use borrowed money to invest in other businesses, rather than your own. For example:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Your $1 million could be used in a stock portfolio for a 7 to 10% return.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">But if you borrow $3 million at 4% interest, you now have $4 million invested.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If your investments return 10%, you make $400,000 instead of $100,000.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The catch is that leverage magnifies gains and losses.</li></ul>For instance, if your investments go down just 10%, you are now down $400,000 and still owe the bank their investment back.

level 8 (Leveraged Investments)

At level nine, there's corporate debt. 99% of companies need cash flow to survive and turn brilliant ideas into reality.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Debt helps fund employee salaries, materials, office construction, and R&D for companies that aren't yet profitable. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your everyday tools like phones, apps, and electric cars were also built with borrowed money. </li></ul>It can work out well, like Netflix's successful content library expansion, but it can also lead to failure, as seen with the short-lived Q.B streaming platform which raised $2 billion before shutting down in under a year.

level 9 (Corporate Debt)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Government debt is the debt that runs the world</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is funded by spending more than what is collected in taxes</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Investors and other countries buy government bonds as a way to make up the gap</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Countries have tools to manage the debt, such as printing money and setting interest rates</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The US national debt has reached over $34 trillion, which equates to over $100,000 per citizen</li></ul>

Level 10 (Government Debt)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The impact of government debt is felt on a global scale, affecting budgets for social programs, infrastructure, and taxes. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">However, unlike personal or corporate debt, countries have mechanisms to manage and manipulate the debt, leading to potential long-term consequences. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">As a citizen, it's important to understand the role and power of government debt in shaping our economy and society.</li></ul>

What This Means for You:

Just like income, debt has levels, and each level changes how you live, what you can do, and how much freedom you really have.

Just like income, debt has levels, and each level changes how you live, what you can do, and how much freedom you really have.

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Levels of Debt (Explained)

“Nothing is a cliché when it's happening to you.”

“The past is a gaping hole; you try to run from it but the more you run, the deeper, more terrible It grows behind you, Its edges yawning at your heels.”

I could only see a small picture of what was going on. Like looking in a mirror and, for a second, seeing what everyone else sees; A bad caricature of a better man.

“Memories come in waves. Tonight, I'm drowning.”

“The way I see it, there's only two types of people; those who spend their lives trying to build a future, and those who spend their lives trying to rebuild the past.”

“There are no choices. Nothing but a straight line. The illusion comes afterwords, when you ask 'Why me?' and 'What if?'. When you look back, see the branches, like a pruned bonsai tree, or a forked lightning. If you had done something differently, it wouldn't be you, it would be someone else looking back, asking a different set of questions.”

“Dreams have a nasty habit of going bad when you're not looking.”

“The trouble with wanting something...is the fear of losing it or never getting it. The thought makes you weak.”

“Einstein was right. Time Is relative to the observer...when you're looking down the barrel of a gun, time slows down. Your whole life flashes by, heartbreak and scars. Stay with it, and you can live a lifetime in that split second.”

“There was a blind spot in my head...a bullet-shaped hole where the answer should be. Call it denial. I wanted to dig inside my skull and scrape out the pain.”

“As surely as the bullet rips through...the victim's flesh, organ and bone, it shatters the image of the man who pulls the trigger.”

One of the most iconic characters to ever exist in video game history. 

Max Payne, a popular video game character, has captivated players with his dark and gritty storyline, along with his memorable quotes. With his iconic

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Max Payne quotes that I take cold showers to 🥶

When you’re going to change the world, don’t ask for permission.

If you were a scientist, you’d know you can’t make a prototype without breaking a few wrenches.

Knowledge is a paradox. The more one understands, the more one realizes the vastness of their ignorance.

Betrayal, that pain that feels like it’ll eat you from the inside out, can either break you or forge you into something greater.

You know, I learned from someone very special that no matter what happened in the past, it’s never too late to build something new. Someone worth building it for.

We can’t change what fate has in store for us, but we don’t have to face it alone.

Humans don’t live for centuries. We can’t wait for progress. We need a leadership focused on the future, not the past.”

When did you get so comfortable living in someone else’s shadow?

Sisters, right? You can’t live with them, can’t stuff them back in the old babymaker.

Ever wonder what it’s like to drown? Story of opposites. There’s peace in water. Like it’s holding you, whispering in low tones to let it in. And every problem in the world will fade away. But then, there’s this thing… in your head, and it’s raging. Lighting every nerve with madness. To fight. To survive. And all the while this question lingers before you: “Have you had enough?” It’s funny. You could pass a lifetime without ever facing a choice like that. But it changes you forever.

Some of my fav collections of quotes from the critically acclaimed series Arcane (League of Legends). 

Enjoy the best quotes from the new Netflix series Arcane: League of Legends. "When you're going to change the world, don't ask for permission."

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Arcane quotes to spend my mana on 🥴

Studios are closing faster than a Fortnite match—many before even releasing a game.Netflix’s Blue Studio, Humanoid Origins, and Sony’s Deviation vanished without a trace. Investors, stop betting on vaporware!

1. Studio Shutdowns: The Corporate Puppeteers

Remakes like Last of Us Part II and Horizon Zero Dawn feel like cash grabs. Give us meaningful upgrades, not $40 patches.

2. Remake Overload: Nostalgia Ain’t Cheap

AI voices in games like The Finals sound like a GPS reading Shakespeare. Hire real talent!

3. AI Voice Acting: The Soul-Sucking Robots

Fallout 4’s next-gen update broke mods, and PS5 Pro’s PSSR made Alan Wake 2 look worse. Stop fixing what ain’t broken!

4. “Upgrades” That Downgrade

Logging into a game shouldn’t feel like hacking the Pentagon. RIP 2K’s launcher—now tackle Rockstar’s GTA login gauntlet.

5. Launcher Labyrinths

AAA titles play it safe, stuck in a Dark Souls-Uncharted sandwich. Budgets ≠ creativity. Let indie devs cook!

6. Risk-Averse AAA Games

Adding DRM like Capcom’s Enigma to old games? You’re encouraging piracy. Stop punishing loyal players!

7. Sneaky Post-Launch DRM

Microtransactions are macro-problems. Apex Legends and Helldivers 2 charge rent for pixels. FOMO isn’t a business model.

8. $30 Skins & Battle Pass-ception

Ubisoft axed Prince of Persia: Lost Crown’s devs despite praise. Microsoft shut Tango (Hi-Fi Rush) post-hit. Madness!

9. Killing Golden Geese

Concord, Suicide Squad, and XDefiant flopped harder than a Mario Party friendship. Execs, play your own games.

10. Predictable Flops: “What Were They Thinking?!”

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Gaming, ten villains plagued the land. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Corporate Puppeteers shuttered studios mid-quest. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Nostalgia Wizards sold repackaged spells at gold prices. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Soul-Sucking Robots droned dialogue, boring knights to sleep. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A Downgrade Dragon breathed “updates” that melted GPUs.</li></ul>

Bedtime Story: The Kingdom of Gaming’s Cursed Trends

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Brave players battled Launcher Labyrinths, only to face Risk-Averse Knights churning out the same quests. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">DRM Goblins corrupted old treasures, while Microtransaction Mages demanded gold for armor reskins. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Golden Goose Slayers axed beloved blacksmiths, and Flop Giants tripped over their own hubris.</li></ul>But hope arrived! Players united, demanding creativity over greed. Indie alchemists brewed bold potions, studios revived fallen heroes, and Half-Life 3 rumors sparked joy. The villains faded, and the kingdom thrived—until the next console war.The end… or is it? 🎮✨

Gaming trends pop up, influence, and change everything, but some of them really, really suck. 🤦‍♂️

Gaming trends pop up, influence, and change everything, but some of them really, really suck.
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10 Gaming TRENDS That NEED TO DIE in 2025

“Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let them resolutely pursue a solitary course.”

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

“Joy comes to us from those whom we love even when they are absent … when present, seeing them and associating intimately with them yields real pleasure…”

“Hearts united in pain and sorrow will not be separated by joy and happiness. Bonds that are woven in sadness are stronger than the ties of joy and pleasure.”

“Love others as you would love yourself, judge others as you would judge yourself, cherish others as you would cherish yourself. When you wish for others as you wish for yourself and when you protect others as you would protect yourself, that's when you can say it's true love.”

“The greatest distance in this World is not that between living and death, it is when I am just before you, and you don't know that I Love You.”

“Above all, keep a close watch on this—that you are never so tied to your former acquaintances and friends that you are pulled down to their level. If you don’t, you’ll be ruined...You must choose whether to be loved by these friends and remain the same person, or to become a better person at the cost of those friends... if you try to have it both ways you will neither make progress nor keep what you once had.”

Love in Buddhism is “loving-kindness” (metta) and “compassion” which are concepts complementary to each other: compassion is the desire to be free from suffering and loving-kindness is the desire for the others to be happy.

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Quotes on practical Love (to Center Your Heart to) 🤗

Instead of a celebration of everything you know, an anti-library is an ode to everything you want to explore.

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Tsundoku (book hoarding) is often seen as wasteful, but the anti-library repositions unread books as a “map of intellectual curiosity”. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Unread books remind us of what we don’t know, fostering humility and driving inquiry.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">This mirrors Nassim Taleb’s concept in Antifragile, where he argues that unread books are a research tool, not a vanity metric. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The anti-library thrives on uncertainty, much like Taleb’s “anti-résumé” of unexplored knowledge.</li></ul>

Tsundoku (積ん読) vs. Anti-library: From Guilt to Growth

Ex: Umberto Eco’s 30,000-book library was designed for exploration, not display—a “machine for thinking”.Insight:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Audit your shelves: Label a section “Anti-library” to track unread books.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Embrace gaps: Use them to identify learning priorities.</li></ul>

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Unread books act as a “cognitive safety net,” providing resources for future problems you can’t yet anticipate.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">By expanding our awareness of unknown unknowns, an anti-library may even be an antidote to the <a href="https://nesslabs.com/dunning-kruger-effect">Dunning–Kruger effect</a>, where we tend to overestimate the extent of our knowledge. </li></ul>

The Power of Unread Knowledge

Ex: A marketer might stock unread psychology books, later using them to solve a campaign challenge.Insight:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Curate strategically: Collect books on adjacent topics (e.g., behavioral science for a business reader).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use search tools: Digitize titles for quick access (e.g., apps like Readwise or Roam Research) </li></ul>

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"> Reframe guilt into curiosity: transforming passive reading into active learning. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Organize for accessibility: Schedule quarterly “anti-library days” to explore unread books, pairing them with reflection prompts (e.g., “How could this book address a current challenge?”).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Revisit with purpose: Remove books that no longer align with your goals, use categories like “Future Skills” or “Creative Sparks.”</li></ul>

Building an Anti-library: Practical Steps

<ol><li>Dedicate a shelf/space.</li><li>Tag books by theme.</li><li>Schedule quarterly reviews.</li><li>Digitize titles for searchability.</li><li>Prune ruthlessly.</li></ol>

“5-Step Anti-library Checklist”

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Why It Works: The anti-library combats the “collector’s fallacy” (hoarding without purpose) by framing unread books as a system, not a backlog.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Limitations: Without curation, anti-libraries can become overwhelming. Pair with “zero fluff” philosophy—regularly prune and prioritize.</li></ul>

Short critique

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">What unread book on my shelf (physical or digital) could unlock my next breakthrough?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">How do I manage my unread books?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">What if your anti-library became a personal map of curiosity rather than a backlog of guilt?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Does the idea of an anti-library free you from the pressure of “finishing” books?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">How does accepting your intellectual limitations make you more open to new ideas?</li></ol>

Ask yourself

In an era of information overload, the Anti-library mindset shifts focus from consumption to curiosity, empowering learners to embrace the unknown rather than fear it.

Unread books are as powerful as the ones we read. An antilibrary is a private collection of unread books capturing the vastness of the unknown.

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The Anti-library: Why Unread Books Are Your Secret Weapon for Learning

“Anything that makes weak - physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”

“Let us proclaim to every soul: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत — Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness.”

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”

“Learn Everything that is Good from Others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.”

“The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”

“Experience is the only teacher we have. we may talk and reason all our lives, but we shall not understand a word of truth until we experience it ourselves.”

“The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.”

“Do not be afraid of a small beginning. great things come afterwards. Be courageous. Do not try to lead your brethren, but serve them. The brutal mania for leading has sunk many a great ships in the waters of life. Take care especially of that, i.e. be unselfish even unto death, and work.”

“There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotized ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we are going to die, and into a constant state of fear.”

A collection of quotes from Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk and philosopher who popularized Vedanta in the West. The quotes cover topics such as fearlessness, self-reliance, knowledge, and service.

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Electric Quotes by Swami Vivekananda 🤯

“The bright side of the planet moves toward darkness... And for me, now as then, it is too much, there is too much world.”

The atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

kenopsia

The interplay between existence and imagination.<ul><li>Chrysalism captures the tranquil intimacy of being indoors during a thunderstorm. It mirrors the human tendency to seek comfort in isolation amidst chaos, reminiscent of Emily Dickinson's poetic retreat into solitude.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Kairosclerosis unpacks the paradox of consciously experiencing joy while simultaneously intellectualizing it, leading to its erosion. This aligns with how over-documentation of happiness on social media often dulls the moment's authenticity.</li></ul>

Chapter 1: Between Living and Dreaming

Onism portrays the frustration of being confined to one body and one perspective. It parallels existential concepts like Heidegger’s "thrownness," where one is aware of being trapped in a finite existence.Ex: Imagine standing on a train platform, watching destinations you’ll never explore. Or when scrolling through Instagram, envying lives you’ll never live—a tangible form of Onism.

“My soul is a dark forest. That my known self will never be more than a little clearing in the forest.”

The awareness that this moment will become a memory.

dès vu

Navigating the self as an uncharted psychological landscape.<ul><li>Agnosthesia defines the bewilderment of not knowing your true emotions, like searching for lost keys in a foggy room. It's a modern analogue to Freud's theory of the unconscious shaping our choices.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Liberosis, the yearning to care less, reflects society's obsession with control and perfection. Think of Marie Kondo’s method of discarding items that don't "spark joy" as a form of Liberosis in action.</li></ul>

Chapter 2: The Interior Wilderness

Rubatosis, the unnerving awareness of your heartbeat, exposes the fragility of human life. It’s the same awareness that strikes during a near-miss accident.Ex: A person scrolling through their favorite playlist for hours, unsure why a specific song makes them cry (Agnosthesia). Or the bittersweet decision to decline an extra work shift for self-care (Liberosis).

“Ask yourself—how many cover-ups have you taken part in? How many times have you heard something you weren’t supposed to hear... Everyone around you must be doing it, too.”

The feeling that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore.

nodus tollens

Examining relationships through emotional micro-lenses.<ul><li>Sonder, the realization that strangers lead lives as complex as your own, is a startling shift in perspective. It’s akin to the empathetic narrative style in George Saunders’ short stories.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Jouska describes rehearsing conversations in your mind. It aligns with behavioral theories around mental simulation as a stress-response mechanism.</li></ul>

Chapter 3: The People You Know

The Giltwrights metaphorically embody self-criticism as an imagined jury tracking every misstep, echoing Beck’s cognitive triad of negative self-perceptions.Ex: Visualize walking through a crowded airport and realizing each traveler harbors their own epic (Sonder). Or obsessively rethinking an awkward comment from last week (Jouska).

“If someone were to ask you on your deathbed what it was like to live here on Earth, perhaps the only honest answer would be: 'I don’t know. I passed through it once, but I’ve never really been there.'”

The bittersweetness of having arrived here in the future, seeing how things turn out, but unable to tell your past self.

énouement

The anonymous yet intimate connections with strangers.<ul><li>Kenopsia, the eerie ambiance of an abandoned place, embodies humanity’s innate discomfort with absence. Post-pandemic office spaces exemplify this.</li><li>La Cuna, the sadness of no more frontiers, critiques the diminishing allure of exploration in a hyper-mapped world. Think of how Google Earth robs some of the wonder of physical travel.</li></ul>Ex: Visiting a once-bustling mall now reduced to silence (Kenopsia).

Chapter 4: The People You Don’t Know

“You take it for granted that you’re a different person every year, upgraded with a different body and a different future.”

The realization that each random passerby is the main character of their own story, in which you are just an extra in the background.

sonder

Time’s fleeting and bittersweet nature.<ul><li>Énouement encapsulates the ache of knowing how life turns out but being unable to share it with your past self. This resonates with life lessons learned too late.</li><li>Zielschmerz, the dread of pursuing a dream and exposing yourself to potential failure, is the psychological equivalent of imposter syndrome.</li></ul>Ex: Reflecting on old diary entries and wishing you could advise your younger self (Énouement).

Chapter 5: The Passage of Time

“Your life is not just a quest, or an opportunity, or a story to tell; it’s also just an experience, to be lived for its own sake.”

The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time.

onism

Crafting purpose amidst life's chaos.<ul><li>Vemödalen, the fear that originality is impossible, critiques how digital saturation erodes uniqueness.</li><li>Ballagàrraidh, the sense of not belonging in the wilderness, contrasts humanity’s romanticized idea of nature with its harsh reality.</li></ul>Ex: Feeling lost in a sea of indistinguishable selfies on social media (Vemödalen). Or struggling during a weekend camping trip because modern comforts are absent (Ballagàrraidh).

Chapter 6: The Search for Meaning

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “It’s undeniably thrilling to find words for our strangest feelings…Koenig casts light into lonely corners of human experience…An enchanting book. “ —The Washington Post A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express—until now. Have you ever wondered about the lives of each person you pass on the street, realizing that everyone is the main character in their own story, each living a life as vivid and complex as your own? That feeling has a name: “sonder.” Or maybe you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll in and felt a primal hunger for disaster, hoping it would shake up your life. That’s called “lachesism.” Or you were looking through old photos and felt a pang of nostalgia for a time you’ve never actually experienced. That’s “anemoia.” If you’ve never heard of these terms before, that’s because they didn’t exist until John Koenig set out to fill the gaps in our language of emotion. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows “creates beautiful new words that we need but do not yet have,” says John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars. By turns poignant, relatable, and mind-bending, the definitions include whimsical etymologies drawn from languages around the world, interspersed with otherworldly collages and lyrical essays that explore forgotten corners of the human condition—from “astrophe,” the longing to explore beyond the planet Earth, to “zenosyne,” the sense that time keeps getting faster. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is for anyone who enjoys a shift in perspective, pondering the ineffable feelings that make up our lives. With a gorgeous package and beautiful illustrations throughout, this is the perfect gift for creatives, word nerds, and human beings everywhere.

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