Thought of the Day: Whosoever would save his soul shall lose it.” — Alan Watts

November 5, 2025

Alan Watts had a talent for saying things that sound like riddles until you realize he’s describing your Tuesday morning.

When he says that those who try to “save their soul” will lose it, he isn’t talking about theology, he’s talking about control. He’s talking about that deep, relentless urge to hold everything together. The need to be good, to be right, to be seen a certain way.

But here’s the twist: the more tightly we try to grip who we think we are, the less we actually feel alive.

I’ve done it plenty of times, tried to preserve some polished version of myself. The responsible one. The creative one. The person who always has a plan and doesn’t spill coffee on himself twice in one day (hypothetically speaking). But life doesn’t reward that kind of control. It usually responds with chaos, laughter, and the occasional reminder that I’m not the one in charge here.

Watts’ point is that trying to save yourself, to maintain your image, your ego, your ideal, keeps you stuck inside a story that’s already over. Real life happens in the moments you stop managing the show and start living it.

When you loosen your grip, something surprising happens. You don’t fall apart, you fall into yourself. You stop trying to be what you think others need and start being what’s actually true. It’s uncomfortable, yes, but it’s also freeing. Like realizing the parachute you’ve been clinging to is really just a bedsheet.

We live in a world obsessed with self-improvement, every book, podcast, and morning routine promising salvation through optimization. But Watts invites us to ask: what if you’re not meant to be improved? What if you’re meant to be experienced?

Losing yourself, in this sense, isn’t defeat. It’s discovery. It’s the moment you stop guarding your soul and start using it.

So maybe “saving your soul” means something quieter, something smaller. Maybe it means letting go of the version of you that’s trying too hard to matter, and finally becoming the one who already does.

🧠 Read the full blog post where I explore this Thought of the Day and the Question of the Day

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