Books

My feelings of isolation ended up going away. I don't feel lonely at all today. It's amazing how quickly feelings can end.
I'm going to try to read more. Earlier this year I read two amazing books: The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham and A Scanner Darkly by Phillip Dick.
The Painted Veil explores the meaninglessness of life. Instead of summarize the books I'll just say what I got out of them. The Painted Veil had nuns who spent their whole life doing god's work, a man who destroyed his life and his lover's life, and an alcoholic. The alcoholic, Waddington, had the most interesting thoughts about life. He says how there is no real purpose in life except to enjoy it. It is not clear whether the nuns enjoy their life. The bottom line is that letting one aspect of your life consume your whole life. One character tries to kills himself and tries to kill his lover due to a broken heart. This book was a factor into my "conversion" to atheism. It is so important to enjoy your life because it is your only life.
A Scanner Darkly is about a drug-addicted society. The main characters right and left brain hemispheres are competing rather than working together. Also, the book deals with how cops need criminals to have their jobs. Basically, it says how everything works in twos. In the end, we find that the main rehab is supplying the drug. What I took out of this was that rehabs need drug addicts to stay in business. I loved the name of the drug too, Substance D. The book was written very well.
You can gain knowledge from fiction books and nonfiction. Nonfiction is very direct. I spend a lot of time researching things on the internet, mainly repetitive things. However, a lot can be learned from good literature.