russia has launched a full-scale war in Ukraine! Donate to the charity fund to support Ukraine and protect the world’s peace.

Support Ukraine

logo

Headway App

(81,672)

FREE - on the App Store

INSTALL NOW
library / 
book

Summary of No Self, No Problem 

4.6 . 2279 reviews

Short summary

For many centuries now, Buddhists have believed that there is no such thing as a stable, continuous self. In recent times, research has made it clear that this belief is not a farce, and the self is indeed an illusion created by the language seat of the brain. In this summary, Chris Niebauer, writer and professor of neuropsychology at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania, shows how neuroscientific evidence supports the age-long Buddhist belief that the nature of the self is unrealistic. Niebauer emphasizes that the self — just like a mirage — exists only in the mind and is at the root of our many problems. He also points out that the research on the relationship between Eastern schools of thought and neuroscience is capable of changing many modalities that have been accepted in the past. “For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for the one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

Table of content

  • Summary of No Self, No Problem
  • About the author
  • What is No Self, No Problem about?
  • Who should read No Self, No Problem
  • Topics in No Self, No Problem
first key point

After so many years of research, neuroscience and Buddhism have found common ground — the self is not real

Listen the first key point
00:00
00:00
“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9% of everything you think, and everything you do, is for yourself — and there isn’t one.” ~ Wei Wu Wei
Humans have struggled to answer the questions that border around our existence, for a long time. When we think of who we are, the “I” or “ego” that comes to mind represents the idea that it is the individual self that drives the body. It observes, makes decisions, and carries out actions. The “I” is what we think of as our true selves.

Buddhism and other schools of Eastern thought believe that the idea of “me” does not exist and refer to this as “anata” which is translated to mean “no self” — this is one of the most critical tenets of Buddhism. But this idea contradicts many Western traditions and disagrees with our whole sense of being.

This summary explores strong evidence suggesting that the concept of the self is simply a construct of the mind rather than a physical thing located somewhere in the brain.

So, whether you’re keen or skeptical about yoga or mindfulness, you’ll discover that the self, as you know it, is created by your thought process and doesn’t exist independently.
second key point

Our thoughts steadily create the illusion of a continuous self — and this illusion is the root of all human suffering

More than 2500 years ago, Buddha asserted that the self is fictional, and this belief can also be found in the foundational text of Taoism, which was written a long time ago.
book
Continue reading with Headway app
Continue reading
Full summary is waiting for you in the app
third key point

The brain is capable of perceiving and interpreting patterns that exist even if it does not correlate with reality

fourth key point

Everyone has the ability to use the right side of their brain instead of the left. This means we can all be compassionate and grateful human beings

fifth key point

It is easier to survive difficult situations when you first take the time to understand them and not just allow the left brain to jump to conclusions

sixth key point

Life is full of many perspectives. For a fulfilling life, explore as many as possible rather than being set in your ways

seventh key point

Conclusion

Buy full book on AmazonContinue the summary

What is No Self, No Problem about?

Who should read No Self, No Problem

book
book

Enjoy summarized nonfiction bestsellers

Grasp the book’s key ideas in less than 15 minutes

Get started

Get new knowledge easily

Let’s check how many titles you can finish in a month with Headway! Tell us how much time you’d like to spend on reading:

2 min/day
5 min/day
10 min/day
15 min/day
20 min/day
30 min/day
45 min/day
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image

Join 30+ million learners around the world

60K5 reviews on App Store and Google Play
icon

Everything you need to be motivate, to learn & to self improves is all here. I actually do appreciate the reminders because otherwise this wouldn’t work for me. Thank you

icon

sandypantalones

icon

Headway is the answer! No longer accumulating books I never read. With Headway, I initially chose the areas important to me such as productivity, time management, etc., and each day I'm provided several book summaries from which I devote 20 minutes or more each day reading. All of this on my phone! My life has improved with Headway. Truly my most useful app.

icon

Carol Slinker

icon

An excellent concept, executed well. Headway can help you retain what you've read while introducing you to the essential core of new information. It's an easier way to stay inspired, and to be reminded of the mental tools you've learned

icon

Fuse Henry

icon

In today’s world, we rarely have time. Between our jobs, our families are social obligations, when do we have time to grow and develop ourselves? Headway is an excellent app that gives you that time it gives you those little snippets of information that you need to direct your focus in on your life. Headway gives you a chance to find out the meat of a book that you might want to purchase and read or listen to in-depth without wasting a lot of time trying to figure out is this book for me? I highly recommend the app.

icon

sleepy sprite

icon

The selections are on point and the summaries are excellent! I listen while I walk my pup 🐶 and have in turn, ordered a few selections! REALLY loving the app, it’s layout, daily selections and features!

icon

JuicyBaby328

icon

I've gotten multiple books out of the library with the intent to read them, but always have a hard time finding the time. This app has helped me finally be able to get to them. Summarized, yes, and thank goodness too! Just short enough I can finish one on my way picking kids up from school/practice, or while I'm cooking dinner. I can't wait to listen to them over the summer when we visit the beach!

icon

Jillian Emmert

icon

It amazed me! There is the possibility to highlight the most important points of each book and instantly translate unfamiliar vocabulary. With the ability to review the searched words. It's a great way to learn more about English as well. The price is great.

icon

Fiamma

icon

I’m enjoying what I’m learning on headway.each summary comes with quotes at the end which you can save to help you remember key points. You can listen or read, I’ve found that reading puts me to sleep before I can finish but the listening feature keeps me engaged and I can finish in a brief amount of time if not one session.

icon

Epic waters

icon

The app it’s so easy to use. I use it while driving or cooking and is great. I love the fact that the chapters are short, so you can finish them quickly. Very knowledgeable.

icon

kathytaveras

icon

The best app for self development.It helps to keep pace with your reading and also suggests the kind of reading material you might like.It is fun as you can switch from reading to listening and vice-versa as per your convenience .Just get started and partake of the treasure of knowledge at your fingertips .I feel lucky to have spotted the app.It has helped me become self-disciplined and much better informed.The audio track is excellent.

icon

anita yadav

icon

Exactly what I need! I always have booklist to read, but can't committed enough to finish/start bc of too much pages. Headway is really helpful and concise with their summary. What I love the most is that the essence of the book is well crafted, so I don't only read the key points, but also there's the story and how personality of the author still well shown through the summary. Well done!

icon

Feninda Amalia

icon

This is outstanding best app ever and honestly whoever came up with is my app is an absolute genius kudos my gratitude definitely goes out and I’m only on my first week free trial and I’m certainly going to purchase this app annually. Now that I have it, I can’t even imagine living without it.

icon

Darlin NIKKIDOLL0923

Have questions?

Asking the right questions brings you closer to achieving your goals

Can I test out Headway before purchasing it for my team?Payment

Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.

What should I do if some of my employees already have your Premium subscription?Payment

Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.

Can I increase or decrease the number of subscriptions on my corporate subscription once it’s started?Payment

Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.

What are the benefits of books summary?

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.