Believing in Nothing"

I get a lot of books from my sister who works in a charity shop, and she had several Paul Coelho recently so we had a marathon read of them. . I have now got fed up with them but my favorite was 'By the river Piedra I sat down and wept' . The Alchemist wasn't among the ones she got but I read it a long time ago.
Yes I prefer a proper book but Kindle (app on I pad in my case) is useful for travelling on long train journeys and for holidays.

I did wonder who Mabel was...

I've read quite a few Paulo Coelho books, but I don't remember most of them. The Alchemist is the only one thaat has stuck.

Sorry to hear this about your brother wot there are a lot of people like this, and it makes life sad and difficult for themselves and their families.?

I put my bro and it came out as Mabel......mad.

Then I can send it Mabel as he loves to read.

£6.29 on Amazon,so I've ordered 2nd hand paperback as I'd rather read a "real" book! £2.81

Yes!! I was just surprised though!

Yes wot but only one of them is by Paulo Coelho ?

Just looked kindle for "The Alchemist" and there,s loads of books with that title!

I'm going to take a look at Paolo Coelho book.

Has anyone read Paulo Coelho books? I don't go along with all of it but he has a take on love and spirituality. His most well known book is 'The Alchemist'.

I think love for humans is a physical, mental and/or emotional expression of attraction which is the source of existence and hold the universe together. Everything from the smallest atom to the planets and stars are held in place and depend on the attraction of atoms etc. We all need to love and be loved to be truly happy and flourish - whether it be from a partner, family or a pet.

I've know quite a lot of highly intelligent people (mostly men) who work in maths and physics. Two things have stood out: they are very often very musical - many play musical instruments; and in the past, though not so much these days, mathematicians were looked on as ( not always just slightly) odd! I've never thought of any of them as any more unhappy or depressed as any other group of people though.

If he volunteered, he might feel more needed.

The current system of A levels is far more flexible than when I was in school in the 1960s.
Then you did Arts of Sciences and only did 3 subjects. Now they do 4 usually, at least for the first year in the 6th form. For example a young friend of mine is doing Biology, Chemistry, Sociology and English. She also does dance in her own time.

Even those that profess to believe in nothing often say a prayer when times are difficult

You're right bags. I am over-thinking it. I think.

Wot - sad about your brother not believing in love - has he just retired from work? A lot of men can't cope with that. He's not needed any more.
I think there are different kinds of love. There's that special feeling of recognising thoughts and attitudes similar to your own that I get with my children, and with my sister - you seem to "click". I had it with Dad too, but not Mum for some reason.
Then with husband, as Jings says, the mutual need for companionship ( after the lust has died down!)
And pets, because they're always so pleased to see you.

jings, re your post at 0949, does it matter what love is and whether it's pure so long as it makes us be nice to others? It's our behaviour that matters in the end rather than our feelings, though obviously feelings do influence how we choose to behave.

Jingles, we/I need to kid myself/believe in something, even if it is just a salve against the harshness of the world! And life would be so boring if it didn't hold mysteries and was just all physical. Water and electricity, according to big brother!

Oznan, the poor man has even been sectioned about 2 years ago as he got so manic. He's supposed to be on meds but I don't know if he takes them. We used to be very close but he has become distant for over a year, and the fact that he lives in Holland and all the rest of his family [3 grown up children and 5 grandchildren makes it difficult to find out exactly how he is. He tends to be quite secretive with his family. Opposite to me!
I'm an open book! [blabbermouth] I do feel so sorry for him though.

Can I just add that,as a lifelong sufferer of depression,I feel that your brother should see a doctor.If he is "deeply depressed" as you say,then he needs to seek help urgently.
Beliefs have nothing to do with it-I am not religious but I am spiritual and always have been.However,this has not helped with my depressive episodes.
Please encourage him to get help.

Academic success does not automatically mean unhappiness; but it is important that people who are academically gifted have wider choices as indeed should all pupils. The current system of education focuses on narrow academic achievement rather than a breadth of subject matter to create balanced people with a good awareness of all their choices.

I do not know what "pure love" is really - love is what it is, and it is likely to be grounded in our physical nature and the biological imperative to reproduce and to preserve our offspring.

I can't believe I just posted that pre-Valentines Day.

I do wonder about love sometimes.

When we feel love for our family, is it just us feeling protective of our own gene pool? The love we may have for a pet, just a substitute for a young child dependent on us? When I hug a very dear old friend, is ithe love I feel for her just the fact that she encompasses so many of my childhood memories? Is the love we feel for our other halfs really just the need for close companionship - having one person you are most important to?

Maybe all love can be explained away by reasons more grounded in human nature. Maybe we're not capable of pure love.

Perhaps he's onto something wot.

I don't believe that anyone "believes in nothing". Everyone has beliefs and everyone gets ill sometimes. I'm including illnesses on the 'depression' spectrum. I expect your brother's depression (if that's what it is) has bugger all to do with how clever he is, wot, and bugger all to do with his beliefs.

Is chicken pox caused by lack of belief in something?

That's why me and himself so happy then,weme both fick,