For me, I think there is something to this. Losing hope that we can have the American Dream. Realizing that the hype we have been sold for decades is just that...hype, not real.

It's only when we can see through the illusions that we can be real. I think for many, when they first open their eyes, their reaction is "We're fucked", followed by depression and a sense of loss.

Then comes the search for something to replace our hope with. I'm still in the search phase, and have considered every whacked out theory that is out there. The only conclusion I've reached so far is that there are no universal truths, no one size fits all. Each one of us must find our own truth. But without the first stage---losing hope in the dreams, realizing we are not the top of the food chain, that we have been duped and are kind stupid J (ok, I will speak for myself only here) ---we could not continue any growth.

Books can be helpful in our search for knowledge, and can spur us to think further or search further. But I can’t name any one book in particular. There are none I could completely agree with; there are none I would completely dismiss.