Episode · On Purpose with Jay Shetty · 2026-04-17
Books mentioned on 10 Harsh Truths I Wish I Knew in My 20s
Today, Jay invites us to slow down and question the invisible beliefs quietly running our lives. He reveals how much of our stress, our careers, relationships, ambitions, and insecurities, isn’t the result of conscious choice, but of expectations we’ve inherited and never stopped to examine.
Jay Shetty discussed The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley, Tao te Ching, Connected by Nicholas A. Christakis and others, and The Dhammapada.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Jack Hawley, is an ancient sacred text that imparts profound spiritual wisdom, ethical duties, and philosophical guidance through a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna.
Discussed“The Bhagavad Gita has a line that hit me like a truck when I first read it. It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.”
Where to get it
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Tao te Ching
Tao te Ching by 老子 is a foundational Taoist philosophical text consisting of short, poetic passages on nature, balance, and effortless action.
Discussed“The Taoist tradition calls this living in Te, your authentic nature, your intrinsic power. The Tao Te Ching says, "When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you."”
Where to get it
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Connected
Connected by Nicholas A.
Discussed“Dr. James Fowler, in his landmark research published in the New England Journal of Medicine and expanded in his book Connected, demonstrated that behaviors, emotions, and even health outcomes spread through social networks like contagions.”
Where to get it
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The Dhammapada
Discussed“The ancient texts understood this with striking precision. The Dhammapada, one of the oldest Buddhist texts, says, "An ignorant person is like a log of wood. If they associate with the wise, they become a flame. If they associate with the foolish, they remain a log."”
Where to get it
