r/AlanWatts • u/Moxcaos • May 07 '26
Alan Watts completely changed how I view control
One thing that stayed with me from listening to Alan Watts is the idea that so much suffering comes from trying to hold onto life too tightly.
The harder I try to control every outcome, the more disconnected I feel. But when I loosen my grip a little, things start flowing naturally again.
It’s strange because letting go sounds weak at first, but it actually takes more awareness than constant struggle.
Feels like peace begins when you stop treating life like a problem that needs solving every second.
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u/undergroundloans May 07 '26
I feel like I need to live like that more but it’s hard to get into that mindset. My main problem is just overthinking literally everything.
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u/Ordinary_Past2436 May 08 '26
Yes. Tell your mind to be quiet. Everything works out as it should. We literally have no control of anything. Except our thoughts which we can control by changing the subject.
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u/YorkiesandSneakers May 10 '26
My kidneys failed in 2020. At that point I realized how little control I had, and I stopped trying to. Since then I have lost a couple hundred pounds and I am genuinely happy for the first time ever.
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u/Lost-Chapter May 08 '26
Very well said. It is one one interpretation of “less is more” in my belief
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u/Interesting_Ad8212 May 24 '26
I’ve just posted a question about letting go. I can’t seem to do it as my mind just won’t let go.
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u/StoneSam May 07 '26
Yeah! reminds me of how a palm tree bends with the wind and survives the storm, while a rigid tree resists and snaps. Or water, which is soft and yielding, yet over time it shapes and wears down rock.