Carpe Diem Regained: The Vanishing Art of Seizing the Day

We’ve all heard the saying ‘seize the day’; it is one of the oldest pieces of life advice in Western history. But what does it really mean? And how can we use it to jump-start our lives? In the age of distraction, carpe diem is more essential than ever: it promises a remedy for the awareness we have that life is short and our time is running out; it asks us to live with greater passion, consciousness and intention; it asks us to live a life with no regrets.

But here’s the problem: carpe diem has been hijacked and reduced simply to the idea of living in the here and now, and the instant hit of one-click online shopping.

Carpe Diem Regained: The Vanishing Art of Seizing the Day is a far-ranging read which explores five very different ways humankind has discovered over the centuries to seize the day, which we urgently need to revive. It draws on everything from the neuropsychology of regret to the anthropology of play, from medieval carnival rites to religious conceptions of the afterlife and early Japanese cinema. Offering food for thought as well as inspiring takeaways, the book examines not just the contributions of great thinkers throughout history, but also reveals insights from the lives of great seize-the-day practitioners, including nightclub dancers, war photographers, bored housewives and committed revolutionaries.

In this thought-provoking and empowering book, leading popular philosopher Roman Krznaric unpacks the history, philosophy and modern-day applications of ‘seizing the day’ while delivering a rousing call to action for anyone up for the daunting challenge of leading a meaningful life.