Einzelgänger - Unoffendable: The Art of Thriving in a World Full of Jerks

Welcome to the magical world of jerk-resistance philosophy! But, before I open the door a little wider, let me tell you a little bit about the person you are dealing with. I will share some of my underlying ideas from my YouTube channel Einzelgnger (meaning Lone Wolf ). So far the guy behind that coffee-brown voice narrating the videos on this channel has been a mystery. So lets first talk about what Einzelgnger is not. Im neither a psychiatrist nor a psychologist and I definitely dont see myself as some kind of guru, let alone some sage living on a mountain top.

So, who am I? Im just a guy living an ordinary and modest life, somewhere in the Netherlands. In regards to my credentials, I can say that I have a masters degree in Religious & Ritual Studies and have published several related articles in newspapers and magazines over the years. In the course of my education, I have built a keen interest in philosophy, particularly Stoicism and Eastern philosophy that we can find in Buddhism and Taoism. Ive read, listened to and watched tons of it and have experimented with different forms of meditation.

On a personal level, I have gone through several dark doomer phases and existential crises in life as manifested by depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Ive often made a mess of my life. Several key moments that characterized my late twenties and early thirties caused so much pain and confusion that the need to examine my own mind became the last resort to overcome my sufferings. Now, about five years down the road, living more simply and introspectively, I can safely say that Ive never felt as peaceful as I do today.

Nevertheless, I make no claims to being an enlightened being dwelling in eternal bliss. I still experience bad days and I havent tamed all my demons. But Ive come a long way from the turbulent times of emotional despair I went through in my teens, twenties and early thirties. It feels like I had been living for so many years in a hurricane and only now has it finally started to subside. Even though this could be because of maturity and changes in lifes circumstances, philosophy has helped me tremendously in dissolving the resentment I had towards the world until recently. Sometimes, bits of weltschmerz come to the surface, but rarely do I attach myself to them as I used to in the past. Accepting that the world isnt fair, that everything changes constantly, and that were all going to die, really puts things into sober perspective, and helps me to become more grateful for life in general.

Im still learning, though. Im still experiencing new things every day. Therefore, I see my work as a testimonial of my own life path thus far, and, hopefully, Ill continue to grow spiritually until I die.

This book is largely autobiographical. Besides presenting a detailed analysis of the nature of insults, it will dive into the workings of the mind, putting wisdom into practice. Ill share my own experiences on how Ive become more aware of my own thought processes and emotions to build resilience to the nastiness of other people and acceptance that there are many opinions that I dont agree with.

Wouldnt it be great not to waste so much energy on these things? In the workspace, at school, in public spaces, on the internet and in many other areas of life? Imagine the time and energy you can use for things that truly matter. This book describes philosophical ideas to help the reader gain insight into the why, among other things, the mind works the way it does, and why we shouldnt care too much about what people think and say. Ive explained these ideas by using personal anecdotes, characters based on real people in my life, and profound adages from spiritual traditions.