When I picked up Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, I didn’t expect it to sit with me the way it did. Some parts left me numb, others gave me hope, and a few lines stopped me mid-read just to take a breath. Frankl’s words aren’t just lessons from history; they’re reminders that even in the most unthinkable suffering, we still have the choice to hold on to meaning. In this post, I’ve pulled together the quotes that resonated with me most while reading. These are the lines that made me reframe how I think about my own struggles. I hope they do the same for you. Survival and Its Moral Costs 1…
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Diving Deep into Sapiens: Why Technology Alone Isn’t Enough?
Today, I read a passage from Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens that had my attention for a while, and might have yours too: “The Chinese and Persians did not lack technological inventions such as steam engines (which could be freely copied or bought). They lacked the values, the myths, judicial apparatus, and sociopolitical structures that took centuries to form and mature in the West and which could not be copied and internalised rapidly. France and the United States quickly followed in Britain’s footsteps because the French and Americans already shared the most important British myths and social structures. The Chinese and Persians could not catch up as quickly because they thought and organised…
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You’re Not Tired — You’re Just Living Someone Else’s Dream
And Why Chasing Their Version of Happy is Making You Miserable. No wonder you’re tired — you’re chasing the wrong dream. Ever catch yourself out of breath, but you’re not even sure why? You never signed up for this invisible race. There was no starting whistle. But suddenly, you’re sprinting — chasing after lifestyles, career wins, perfect photos, relationship milestones, like your whole worth depends on keeping up. From LinkedIn “thought leaders” to Instagram-perfect girlbosses to even your own friends who seem to have it all figured out — everyone’s kind of faking it. And here you are, trying to keep up in a game that doesn’t even feel like yours. You’re exhausted, but it’s not just…
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The Residence on Netflix | Twists, Characters, and Why It’s Binge-Worthy
I had planned to watch The Residence on Netflix slowly, one episode each night for a week. Instead, I ended up spending two days in a row completely absorbed, watching the whole thing in a single stretch. I can’t say I regret it. There’s a certain quiet pleasure in letting a story pull you in and not fighting it. This isn’t really a review. It’s more like a handful of thoughts from someone who spent a weekend living inside The Residence. I’m not here to critique, just to share what stayed with me, what caught me off guard, and why the time felt well spent. First impressions The series wastes…
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Reading Experience: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Reading Man’s Search for Meaning took me through an emotional journey, beginning with numbness and heaviness, then shifting into intellectual challenge, and concluding with a feeling of motivation and renewed perspective. The Reading Journey For me, the concentration camp experiences were far more impactful than the later chapters on logotherapy and tragic optimism. The camp narrative evoked a blend of emotions within me, though at first, it almost stripped me of them. The tone Victor Frankl adopts in the first half is so detached — almost deadened — that as a reader, you mirror it. I wasn’t confused about the impact of what he was describing; I understood it. But the way he wrote about those events…
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That Time I Rewatched Swades and Had an Existential Crisis
Let me set the scene straight. The last time I watched this movie, I was probably more interested in Shah Rukh Khan’s dimples than thinking about social dilemma and moral commentary. I mean, come on — I was a kid! My biggest life decision back then was choosing between Maggi and Top Ramen. Fast forward to now, and here I am, knee-deep in my first year of MBA, drowning in case studies about MNCs and global organizations, while my friends casually drop bombshells about their plans to move abroad for “better opportunities.” A lot of them have already moved abroad, trying to create an ideal life for themselves. And then Mohan Bhargava…
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Why My Brain Can’t Decide On Dinner but Buys Books in 5 Seconds?
There are two kinds of people in this world. The ones who scroll on a food delivery app for an hour, analyzing every cuisine, calorie count, delivery time, and review before realizing their stomach has already given up on them. And the ones who waltz into a bookstore, pick up a random book from the front shelf, and head straight to billing without batting an eyelid. Unfortunately, sometimes I am both. I’ve been that person staring at my phone, toggling between biryani and pasta as if I was responsible for national peace, only to end up with a cup of tea. Yes, my brain tapped out before my stomach did.…
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Why Napo Made Me Well Up (and Think About Life)
There’s a short film on YouTube called NAPO. It’s only a few minutes long, but it really hit me. There are no dialogues and no dramatic background music throughout the movie. Just some soothing music and an old man with fading memories, a grandson with a pencil, and a quiet kind of love that sneaks up on you. By the end of the short film, I was warm in my heart, thinking about the people and moments we sometimes take for granted. Here’s what stayed with me: The little boy doesn’t force his grandfather to “remember.” Instead, he draws. He turns old photos into sketches, and suddenly, memories start to come back. It’s…
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A Brainy Reading List: Inspired by Keep Sharp by Dr. Sanjay Gupta
If you’ve ever been haunted by the possibility of dementia, you’re probably not alone. In a world that glorifies productivity but rarely practices brain health, Keep Sharp by Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a much-needed reality check. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is not just a trusted neurosurgeon and medical correspondent; he’s also a clear voice cutting through the noise around aging and cognitive decline. In Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, he uses his medical expertise to busting myths and offer practical lifestyle changes, to remind us that it’s never too early — or too late — to care for our brains. But here’s something special: Sanjay Gupta doesn’t just offer you…
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What White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky Reminded Me Of — Bollywood Edition.
You know how sometimes you’re reading a classic Russian novel about existential crisis, loneliness, ek tarfa pyaar and you suddenly think, wait a minute… I know this from somewhere. That’s exactly what happened when I read White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It’s a sad, four-night-long torment of unrequited love, hopeful delusions, and one very lonely man who just wants to be seen. Argh! The number of Nice-Guy-Syndrome and Friend-Zone memes I witnessed when reading reviews of the book had me roll up laughing. As I finished reading, I couldn’t stop but think that the book reminds me of some Bollywood movie that I know of. It took me right about 5 minutes to pin-point, and…