The Flinch by Julien Smith — Book Response
Flinch: to shrink back from pain or perceived discomfort.
This book is about being aware of the moment we flinch, and going towards what makes us flinch rather than away from it.
We tend to flinch away. This book is about flinching forward.
The kind of book this is
If books are conversations, many non-fiction books are lectures.
They present a collection of arguments and evidence to take you towards conclusions that give you deeper knowledge of a subject.
This is not that kind of book.
In conversation terms, this book is the ex-classmate who joined the military and is here to remind you that you’ve grown soft.
I don’t recall seeing any research findings in the book. And the argument is clear enough within the first few pages. It’s because this book isn’t about information.
The point of reading this book is to make a change.
Investing time in this book makes it more likely that you will notice yourself flinch and take on the discomfort of over-riding it.
If you’re sincere about it, you may even be able to teach yourself to love overriding the flinch.
