[kelseyfrog]

The Social Construction of Reality[1][2] provided me a method of examining the things that I assumed where obviously true and describes the process by which human ideas are transformed from beliefs into real tangible objects and natural truths. It forever changed the way I look at claims of human behavior framed as universal laws and my ears pearl up whenever I hear phrases like reality, truth, and nature used to justify personal beliefs.

1. Berger, Peter L., and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Penguin Books, 1991.

2. https://amstudugm.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/s...

[mikert89]

I read this book too young, and it ultimately dismantled a lot of beliefs I had, which ended up being a net negative effect on my life. Sometimes you shouldnt look behind the curtain

[kelseyfrog]

I read it at 36. How old were you when you read it?

I'm sorry. It sounds like it fundamentally altered your perspective but that's not necessarily a good thing. How have you lived after reading it? I'm genuinely curious and hope you're willing to share.

[mikert89]

I read it when I was 15/16, along with "beyond good and evil" by nietzsche. I grew up in a religious house hold, and it really brought alot of things into question. Mostly lead to a many year long existential crisis. I also felt isolated from my peers, as I was reading these books and supporting secondary academic texts. My day to day thought process was "different". I did fall into something I would consider to be like mental masochism, where I actively tried to stretch (or tear down) my psychology and understanding using these texts.

I am now actually 36, and I don't know that deep philosophy, while some of it true, actually had a positive impact on my life.

[kelseyfrog]

Those are quite heavy ideas to receive as a teen. How did you come across it, if I may ask? Not too many teens would seem to know those texts even exist.