I’ve decided that I really want to write a book on psychology and philosophy of life. It will basically describe how I feel and interpret things in life.
But the question is how am I supposed to know that what I interpret hasn’t already been interpretted? I started writing and I feel as if everything I wrote about has already been said probably a million times. I mean I know from everyone around me I have some crazy ideas and thoughts, but I feel as if it has probably been written and documented already.
So what is the point for me to write about a book on psychology and philosophy of life? Is there one?
Most everything you’re going to say likely has been said before. But keep in mind that (1) it may have been said in books or journal articles or elsewhere where only a select few saw it, so it could stand more publicity, and (2) it might be a good exercise for yourself in clarifying your ideas.
If it’s your first book, don’t expect much. People don’t seem to realize what all goes in to writing a publishable book (well, granted, you can write one that’s not publishable and self-publish it for a big fee, but if that’s what you want, why not just make a webpage?). It can be a good experience to try, but you’ll probably find that the finished product is unpolished (I don’t just mean editorially, but in content too) and inelegant, and it takes time and more tries to get something publishable likely (you may be the rare exception if your lucky and/or amazing).
I’d suggest doing an intensive literature search of the specific area(s) you want to write on, see what’s been written before. Read a few intro texts in the area, maybe a more in-depth text, then go to some of the commonly-cited journal articles and read them and read the stuff that they cite in their bibliography. Once you have a couple tens of thousands of pages of material under your belt from other people in the area, you’re in a position to see what ideas you have that are new (or just new takes on things) or worth sharing. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it’s what tends to go in to writing a good book these days. And if you’re really interested in the area, you’ll find yourself delighted with what you read during the research and provoked with new deeper and more well-formed questions.
I’d also suggest that a book “on psychology and philosophy of life” is incredibly broad and over-general. Try finding a much more specific focus, and you’ll dramatically increase the chance that you say something new rather than just spouting some abstract, vague stuff everyone has heard before. It seems much harder to write a book about something so big and holistic and general as you seem to want to do, and unless you’ve got some grand thesis or your own really distinct philosophy of life that you think you can explicate and not bore people with (or end up repeating stuff everyone knows or has heard before), then it’d be best not to start with such a grand project.
No offence but the world really, really doesn’t need another self-indulgent tract about life. Particularly not one from a ‘psychological’ POV. We’ve got plenty of them; work on another idea, I’m sure that you can come up with one.
They probably have done. Work on coming up with an original idea and read, read, read and then read again. In my life I’ve written countless things but I’ve only ever come up with 3 ideas that I consider to be justly called ‘original’. The rest are all just derivations from Wittgenstein and Geertz and Herodotus and so on. Can I ask how old you are?
How old are you?
No, probably not. I’m being straight with you because I don’t think that you’d get much out of adding another unoriginal volume to the massive array of texts devoted to this topic. Or if you do still want to do that then research the area first so that you aren’t just paraphrasing Lacan or whoever…
It doesn’t have to be a philosophy book,
you could always spread he truth before humanity plunders itself,
once more,just america is a larger target and we are our own enemies.
I would also agree with Strange Loops, you really need to do the research first. Secondly your topic is way too general, and even with a good thesis would not say much, except for broad generalizations. If your thinking of working on a complete philosophical system through your view of life, then your need volumes, one book and one thesis will not suffice. As my favourite english teacher told me, it’s all about “BS”, “be specific”. That way you can actually say something with proof of originality and merit of knowledge.