How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division

by Elif Shafak

'Elegant ... calm and generous' Mary Beard, GuardianThe must-read, pocket-sized Big Think book of 2020One of the Guardian's 'Best Books to Inspire Compassion'One of Independent's Books of the Month A Cosmopolitan 'Revolutionary Read'Ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis. So, how can we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this age of division? In this powerful, uplifting plea for conscious optimism, Booker Prize-nominated novelist and activist Elif Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to bring us together. In the process, she reveals how listening to each other can nurture democracy, empathy and our faith in a kinder and wiser future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Politics, Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Audiobook

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2020

About the author

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books, eleven of which are novels. Her work has been translated into fifty languages. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice a TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better. She has judged numerous literary prizes and is chairing the Wellcome Prize 2019. www.elifshafak.com

Reviews

[Henk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shafak’s writing in support of pluralism, democracy and moderate standpoints is a warm bath in these troubling times
Do not be afraid of complexity.
Be afraid of people who promise an easy shortcut to simplicity.

Elif Shafak investigates in this short bundle what is still possible against decisive powers that affects the "old" narrative that progress is unavoidable and liberal democracy is the only viable way (as most clearly represented by The End of History and the Last Man of Francis Fukuyama).
In How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division she pleads for the power of pluralism and she looks into the power of story telling and language for both progressive and regressive purposes.
Her writing is emotional and hope filled in a way we are not so accustomed anymore; how many people do we still know who can convincingly (and without irony) plead for the value of liberal democracy?

Off course she already did this stunningly in her Ted talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/elif_shafak...) but we are fortunate enough to have a bit more of her magic storytelling, and we can in only a few hours feel uplifted and more empowered.

When the world is blatantly infuriating we can't keep repressing our anger. At the same time, we need to go out and connect with our fellow human beings and stand by those who are hurting; we shouldn't forget to look within, critically examine our own assumptions and hidden stereotypes, expand and soften our hearts; and as we do all that, we must go on and continue working just as others have before us.

[Nika · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

There is nothing wrong with repeating more or less obvious things. But this read felt too obvious and superficial, hence my rating.

In this short book of less than 100 pages, the author touches on a few issues of interest and concern to the general public.
Shafak reflects on the increasing polarization in many societies and points out its dangers.
People today are divided over many issues, such as politics, health care, economics, religion, history, identity, education, migration, etc.
Disagreements are only growing, and the existing divide can lead to pessimism and a loss of hope for a better future. Many people feel increasingly inclined to interact only with those who share similar views, remaining in an information bubble that resembles an echo chamber.
Only similar beliefs are welcomed, while dissenting voices are ignored. It is known as “confirmation bias.”
As a result, we tend to notice only those ‘facts’ or pieces of the puzzle that confirm and reinforce what we already know and believe.
The author warns against living in such an echo chamber and encourages readers to think for themselves, listen to opposing opinions, and be open to new arguments.

While I certainly agree with these statements, they sound trivial and too general, especially without context. Considering opposing viewpoints and alternative ideas is vital in many cases. It can enrich our understanding, help us grow, and sometimes even cause us to change our minds. It is necessary to be able to hear and process the arguments that contradict our established beliefs.
However, debates do not necessarily bring us closer to the truth and may end up being inconclusive or even radicalizing the opposing parties. Certain opinions may be based on lies or promote a distorted view of reality.
I think that we have to distinguish between respecting different opinions and respecting the freedom of speech and the right to express any opinion freely.
The former is optional and depends on the content of an opinion and other factors. The latter is and should always be indisputable, no matter how one may feel about an opinion expressed.

Elif Shafak also talks a little about the experiences of her mother and grandmother. Elif's grandmother was more optimistic about the future than most of us are nowadays, despite the many difficulties she had to face.

So, what about the question posed in the title? How to stay sane in an age of division? The question remains to be answered. Choosing good books might be one of the answers. But I definitely would not put this book on that helpful shelf.

[Raphael Lysander · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it when authors publish anything they write just because they are famous and can. Shafak didn't present anything new in this book, sentences such as "OURS IS THE AGE of contagious anxiety" are boring cliches, and it is all written as if an elementary school's essay about the effects of technology and social media.
Plus, half of the book is self praise instead of solution for the promised title!

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elif has a way of phrasing things as though she’s a friend who’s always in a mood to give some stern advice when you need it the most & only if you remain a good listener will you b able to get the essence of her wisdom. Beautifully written & brutally honest, hence, highly recommended!! 💜

[Irina Constantin · Rating 4 out of 5]

O cărticică care nu lasă loc de pauze, Elif Shafak te suprinde și te motivează ca să continui indiferent de obstacole, să rămâi lucid sau să-ți retrăiești dramele de zi cu zi cu aceeași ardoare punând mereu o singură placă? Nu știm încă dacă pandemia ne-a făcut mai șubrezi emoțional, sau ne-a întărit...Am desoperit o carte de o actualitate brută, scrisă la începutul pandemie, Elif Shafak știe cum să se joace cu mintea cititorului manevrându-l în larg ca o corabie fără destinație, dar cu un scop unic. Am cunoscut o altfel de Elif Shafak, cartea se îndepărtează ușor de stilul obișnuit al scriitoarei , dar suprinde plăcut și absoarbe fiecare particulă din timpul prețios al cititorului, am făcut cunoștință cu o nouă Elif Shafak care m-a surprins plăcut, eu fiind o mare fană a scriitoarei încă de pe vremea depresiei mele... O carte aparte de eseuri și confesiuni care îndeamnă la meditație și întrebări retorice care dau răspunuri diferite dar întăresc caracterul și spiritul, cartea a reprezentat pentru mine un restrat într- perioadă fără vlagă, o să o recitesc cu drag!

[Deepti Srivatsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a long blog post than a full fledged book. Elif Shafak is one of my favourite authors and I deeply admire her. This book is a reflection of her thoughts keeping the current pandemic and it’s impact at the core. Although there were some deep, meaningful points, at times it felt like she was rambling on - jumping from one issue to another.

[Maria Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am citit cărticica aceasta azi noapte, a fost o reală bucurie! Elif Shafak parcă a dat glas gândurilor mele și ale multora. Păcat că nu a fost mai lungă, dar na, esențele tari se păstrează în sticle micuțe.

"Captivi în galeriile șoaptelor noastre, nu mai știm să ascultăm și cu atât mai puțin să învățăm."

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timely and interesting.

[Amal Bedhyefi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ساعات نستحقّو نقراو كتاب موش باش يعلّمنا حاجات جدد، أما باش يعاونّا نتعدّاو مرحلة صعيبة.
How to stay sane in an age of division is the book that I can't stop recommending to people.
There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about this book. However, its beauty resides in Shafak's magical storytelling and delicate prose to examine politics and culture in this new digital age.
Like she mentioned, ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis.
Reading this short book felt like having an honest and heartfelt conversation with a friend. So,If you're going through a rough time, read this one, for I'm sure it will provide a much needed comfort.

[Sara]

To tackle the concepts of cultural devision, social media and emotional reflection in under 100 pages is no easy task - yet Elif Shafak has an exquisite way with words. Drawing on her own experiences, she lends her voice to political and social issues in an eloquent and accessible way that really gets to the heart of current life within a pandemic. It gives examples of how we have the power and ability to change society on the other side of such a world altering event, why this is so important, and why apathy is the most dangerous emotion of all. I'm still amazed at how much reflection and information was packed into this.

Excellent and informative, everyone should be reading this to enhance and diversity their views.

[Odai Al-Saeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

قنبلة موقوتة من تراكمات الحكمة والرصاة السردية لأسلوب حياة مليئ بأرقى الأفكار الثقافية ....من أعظم ما قرأت

[sarah Mtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابی فوق العاده تامل برانگیز در رابطه با عصرِ اضطراب، یک اضطراب همگانی واگیردار که مثل ویروس در همه‌ی دنیا پخش شده است.
این که در این وضعیت بغرنج، چگونه می‌توانیم چراغ امید و اعتماد را روشن نگه داریم؟ چگونه می‌توانیم در این عصرِ تفرقه، عاقل بمانیم؟

[Peiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

الیف شافاک در کتاب «فرزانگی در عصر تفرقه» به مشکلات انسان و جوامع امروزی پرداخته که علی‌رغم خوش‌بینی زیادی که در پنجاه-شصت سال گذشته وجود داشت برای بهتر شدن زندگی اینطور نشد، البته که پیشرفت تکنولوژی و علم باعث سهولت زندگی شد، اما آیا باعث آرامش ذهنی بیشتر اونطوری که انتظار می‌رفت هم شد؟ کتاب به بخش‌های مختلفی تقسیم شده و در هر بخش توجه خودش رو به موضوعی داده. مثلا خشم، خودشیفتگی، اضطراب و دانش و اطلاعات و ...ه
کتاب کوتاه و روانه و خوندنش جالب و مفیده هرچند ممکنه حرف عجیب و غریبی نزنه اما تلنگر حتما خواهد زد.ه

[iva° · Rating 2 out of 5]

površno i nedorečeno. napisati angažirani esej koji bi trebao probuditi pandemijsko čovječanstvo, zahtjevan je, ozbiljan i odgovoran posao kojem, čini mi se, elif shafak nije prionula s potrebnom pažnjom. iako čitko i literarno fino upakirano, nedostaje stvarni kick kojem sam se nadala. i ne otkriva ona ovdje ništa novoga: da, živimo u digitalnom dobu u kojem su ljudi međusobno otuđeni. da, tjeskoba, ljutnja i apatija sveprisutne su. da, pandemija će promijeniti svijet, bar onakvog kakvog smo do sada znali. ali iznošenje tih činjenica kroz fino osmišljene rečenice, nije dovoljno; upravo zato što smo ljuti, razočarani i tjeskobni, potrebno nam je više.

odgovori na naslovno pitanje, "kako, dakle, sačuvati mentalno zdravlje?" tek su u naznakama i već isprevrtani: da, moramo slušati jedni druge. da, ne trebamo skrivati emocije. ne, nismo sami u svemu tome. preporuka kao štivo za jedan dan, koje će te možda podsjetiti na već poznato, ali te neće zagrijati ni prosvijetliti.

[پیمان عَلُو · Rating 5 out of 5]

الیف شافاک نویسندهٔ تُرک در بخشی‌هایی از کتابِ «فرزانگی در عصر تفرقه»:




‏بی‌تفا‌تی؛ احساسی به ظاهر آرام اما احتمالا مخرب‌ترین احساسِ انسانی.
همانطور که رنگ سفید ترکیبی از تمام رنگ‌هاست، بی‌تفاوتی نیز ترکیبی از احساساتِ بسیاری است: اضطراب، ناامیدی، سردرگمی، خستگی، رنجش…اگر این‌ها را سریع و شاید باهم ترکیب کنید، در نهایت فلجِ سراسری و بی‌حسی را تجربه کنید.

خواندنِ خاطراتِ کسانی که در تاریک‌ترین فصل‌های تاریخِ انسانی همچون هلوکاست، نسل کشی و جنگ‌های داخلی دوام آوردند، تجربه‌ی بسیار مهمی در یادگیری است. سؤال مهمی وجود دارد که بسیاری از بازماندگان می‌پرسند:« وقوعِ چنین جنایاتی چگونه ممکن است؟»
بازماندگان می‌خواهند بدانند آیا اکثر انسان‌ها ذات شیطانی دارند؟ اگر این‌طور نیست، پس وحشی‌گری و شرارتِ سیستماتیک چگونه رخ می‌دهد؟
برای اینکه قادر باشیم به این سؤال پاسخ دهیم، باید درک کنیم بی‌تفاوتی چگونه رخ می‌دهد. انهدامِ گسترده با اردوگاه‌های کار اجباری یا اتاق‌های گاز آغاز نمی‌شود با علامت گذاشتن روی‌درهای همسایگان فقط به خاطر اینکه متفاوت هستند آغاز نمی‌شود. با اعمال قوانینی به زیانِ اقلیت‌ها برای حملِ نشان‌های خاص یا پوشیدن لباس‌های بخصوص شروع نمی‌شود. تبعیض همواره با کلمات شروع می‌شود.
با زبان آغاز می‌شود.
همان‌طور که من مشغول نگارش این مطلب هستم، تظاهراتی در مجارستان در جریان است. جمعیتی افراطی با بنرهای نژادپرستانه و شعارهای میهن پرستانه‌ی افراطی گرد هم آمده‌اند و تقاضا دارند کولی‌ها کشوری را که آن‌ها وطن می‌نامند ترک کنند. در دیده‌ی این هوادارانِ نئونازی، کولی‌ها انسان‌هایی برابر با آن‌ها نیستند. آن‌ها حتی انسان‌هم نیستند. حشراتی موذی هستند که به کشور هجوم آورده‌اند.
باقی جامعه-و جهان- چطور به این موضوع واکنش نشان می‌دهند؟
اعمالِ وحشیانه به سرعت و در مقیاس بزرگ رخ می‌دهند؛ نه لزوما زمانی که افرادِ بیشتری فاسد و شریر می‌شوند، بلکه زمانی که تعداد زیادی از افراد جامعه بی‌تفا‌وت می‌شوند. زمانی که بی‌تفا‌وت و متفرق شویم. آنقدر سرگرم زندگی خود هستیم که به دیگران اهمیت نمی‌دهیم. علاقه‌ای به درد دیگران نداریم و بدبختی دیگران ما را تحت تاثیر قرار نمی‌دهد. خطرناک‌ترین احساس ، نداشتن احساس است.
یکی از پارادوکس‌های دوران ما این است که تندروها بسیار بیشتر از میانه‌رو‌ها فعال‌اند و حضور پررنگی در زندگی دارند. زمانی که در فعالیت‌های مدنی و اجتماعی مشارکت نمی‌کنیم، به شکل فزاینده‌ای منزوی می‌شویم و در نتیجه بی‌تفاوتی روی می‌دهد.
وقتی بیشتر در امور دنیا دخالت می‌کنیم و اطلاعات زیادتری در مورد آنچه در اطرافمان رخ می‌دهد به دست می‌آوریم، نومیدتر و عصبانی‌تر می‌شویم و در دایره‌ی احساساتِ منفیِ خود در مواجهه با اخبار و رویداد‌هایی که به سرعت پیش می‌آیند، محاصره می‌شویم. سروکله‌زدن با این چیز‌ها کار خیلی مشکلی است. همگی تشنه سادگی هستیم. به درون خود که برای‌مان آشناست عقب نشینی می‌کنیم. این لحظه بسیار خطرناک است، چرا که در این لحظه عوام فریبان پوپولیست وارد می‌شوند و وعده‌ی ساده کردن و حل کردن امور را به ما می‌دهند.
این یکی از چالش‌های اصلیِ ماست: چطور باید به شکل همزمان هم در امور دخالت کرد و هم عاقل و میانه رو باقی ماند؟

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‏ اگر هر نسل تمام تلاشش را بکند و از هیچ تلاشی برای بهبودِ شرایطی که از والدین خود به ارث برده مضایقه نکند، به تدریج جهان به دنیایی عادلانه‌تر تبدیل خواهد شد.
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‏در جوامعی که شکافِ بزرگی در آن‌ها پیدا شده و توجه به جمع‌گرایی و نظرات مختلف از بین رفته، رقبا به چشمِ دشمن دیده می‌شوند، سیاستمداران از ادبیات جنگی استفاده می‌کنند و هرکسی که متفاوت فکر و صحبت می‌کند، «خائن» نامیده می‌شود.
اتفاقی نیست که در سرتاسر جهان عوام فریبانِ اقتدارگرا تلاش زیادی می‌کنند، آتش قطب‌گرایی را مشتعل کنند. آن‌ها خودشان هم می‌دانند از این فضا بهره خواهند برد. هرچه تفرقه، اختلاف و ناسازگاریِ متقابل بیشتر باشد، خوشحال‌تر خواهند بود. آن‌ها زمانی راضی خواهند شد که رودخانه‌ی میان «ما» و «آن‌ها» از کرانه‌های خود سرریز شود و در نتیجه ما از هم دور شویم، تا دیگر نتوانیم یکدیگر را ببینیم یا صدایِ هم را ورای جریانِ خروشانِ سیل، بشنویم. آب‌هایی که همچون گرداب می‌چرخند و صداهای فردی و روایت‌های شخصی را غرق می‌کنند، به گوشِ آتش افروزانِ سیاسی همچون نوای موسیقی هستند. هرچه انسان‌ها با سلیقه‌های متفاوت کمتر باهم در ارتباط باشند، درکِ ما از زندگی جمعی انسانی کمتر‌خواهد بود. و فضاهای مشترکمان برابری خواهی و دگرپذیری کمتری خواهد داشت. در این وضعیت عوام فریبان راضی‌تر هستند.
آیا شما از ما هستید یا با آن‌ها هم عقیده‌اید؟
آیا خودی هستید یا بیگانه؟
ظهورِ مکرر این سوالات در گفتارهای سیاسی و اقداماتِ اجتماعی ما که غالبا در لفافه هستند و کمتر صراحت دارند، مرا عمیقا نگران می‌کند، شاید بخاطر اینکه تمام عمرم همزمان احساسِ خودی و بیگانه را داشته‌ام..

[Paloma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review in English | Reseña en Español

Well, I don’t know. This is the first work I read from this author and while it is clear she knows how to write, I felt this was a random essay putting together some of her personal thoughts about the convoluted world we live in today. This is not bad per se, but I felt some of her commentary seemed to be taken out of a personal diary and not so much a text worked for a contemporary essay. There were also some parts when I felt I was reading a self-help book and this was very confusing. However, while I would have preferred another way of execution, I acknowledge the message Shafak delivers is very important and relevant as ever when our societies seem to be moving towards less dialogue and more authoritarian regimes and leaders. Technology, the free flow of information and social media should have given us a more clear understanding of the world and make our interest on other communities and cultures grow, but this seems to be the opposite, particularly in the West. In this context, is easy to be discouraged and people appear to be burned out. I certainly am. Hence, as the author points out, it is important to read, to research, and to hear as many stories as we can so we keep empathy towards others and above all, be reminded of our shared humanity.
__

Este es el primer libro que leo de la autora y si bien resulta evidente que sabe escribir, en varios momentos me parecía que el texto era un ensayo muy general que reunía sus reflexiones más personales sobre el mundo complejo en el que vivimos hoy. Esto no es malo en sí mismo, pero siento que algunos de sus comentarios pudieran haber sido sacados de un diario personal y no textos trabajados para un ensayo contemporáneo. Incluso, hubo partes en las que me pareció estar leyendo un libro de superación personal, lo cual fue bastante confuso. Sin embargo, si bien me hubiera gustado que el texto fuera ejecutado de otra forma, lo cierto es que el mensaje de Shafak es muy importante y relevante que nunca, particularmente cuando nuestras sociedades parecen encaminadas a un menor diálogo entre los grupos y regímenes y líderes cada vez más autoritarios. La tecnología, el libre flujo de información y el acceso a redes sociales parecían ser los instrumentos que nos darían un mejor entendimiento del mundo y aumentar el interés por conocer a otras comunidades y culturales pero lo contrario parece ocurrir y en particular en Occidente. En este contexto, es fácil sentirse desanimado y las personas parecen estar agotadas emocional y mentalmente. Sin duda yo lo estoy. Por ello, y como señala la autora, es importante leer, informarse, investigar, y escuchar el mayor número de historias para mantener la cordura y quizá, sobre todo, nuestra humanidad.

[شيماء هشام سعد · Rating 1 out of 5]

أن تكون كاتبا، وتستمد شعورك بالقيمة من ذلك، ويخولك كذلك أن تتفلسف وتعبر عن نفسك وما حولك، دون أن تكون لك آراء مُحترمة واضحة، بل تعترف بكل أريحية أنك تؤمن بالسيولة في النظر إلى الآخرين.

الكاتبة تتكلم عن إسرائيل كما لو كانت دولة حقيقية لها حق الوجود، وتُلمح بين السطور إلى معاداة السامية، تلك العلكة الممجوجة. كما أنها تتكلم عن الأديان وتجعلها كلها على قدم المساواة، وتذم ما سمته "اعتقاد البعض بأن دينهم هو الحق دون غيره"، ولا أدري هل صدر منها هذا عن مغالطة أم عن جهل؛ فهي تخلط بين موقف الإنسان الاعتقادي من أهل الديانات الأخرى وتعامله معهم، تريد ألا يعتقد أحدٌ أنه على الدين الصحيح أو أن آخرَ على عقيدة باطلة.

كاتب مزيف آخر يتخذ منبرا ويُقرفنا بالخطب العصماء عما ينبغي علينا فعله وما لا ينبغي.

[Salamon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this short book is a need for everyone not because it astonishes you with very new ideas or magical solutions to the problems contributing to the current human condition, but because it summarizes what we're dealing with and what we (as a species) will have to deal with more in the future. It paints a picture of us and a clear one for that matter. It tries to raise awareness about all we are ignoring, all the issues that won't vanish into thin air while we're not watching.

I believe there should be more significant and prominent voices shouting the message of sanity.

[Jan-Maat]

Mostly harmless actually entirely harmless, but that isn't the title of a book by Douglas Adams, reminds me of her the island of forgotten trees ( I know, shocking); a humane, emotionally intelligent, work, that resonated in places for me, and will presumably resonate in other places for other readers. I can imagine that it would have read better if I had consumed it in a single sitting (which it is perfectly possible to do), but I was in post Adam Smith recovery mode and needed some time to reset after having ensured his wide legged eighteenth century mansplaining (sp?) for hundreds of pages.

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kad uzmete novu knjigu u ruke, što prvo učinite? Čitate kratak sadržaj, tražite broj stranica, možda dojmove o knjizi? Ja okrenem posljednju stranu i pročitam životopis autora/-ice. O Elif sam znala da je aktivistica i govornica, da je turskog podrijetla. Činjenica da je doktorirala polit. znanosti i predavala na raznim sveučilištima daje joj kredibilitet govoriti o trenutnom političkom, društvenom i kulturnom stanju u kontekstu globalne pandemije. Ali ne ulijeva nam povjerenje zbog toga. Ono što nisam znala o Elif je činjenica da ju je 2017. časopis Politico uvrstio među dvanaest osoba na svijetu "koje će vašem srcu dati veoma potrebnu radost". Vjerujemo joj jer, dok propituje osjećaje oko nas i unutra nas samih, njezini tekstovi odišu racionalnošću, ali i toplinom, imaju dušu. Ne zaboravlja na srce.
U obliku eseja Elif u nekoliko poglavlja tematizira osjećaje razočaranosti i zbunjenosti, tjeskobe, ljutnje i apatije, te u konačnici donosi svoja razmišljanja o informacijama, znanju i mudrosti.
Kako je moguće da se u vrijeme društvenih mreža toliko mnogo ljudi i nadalje osjeća nijemima? Hoće li ova pandemija podignuti još veće zidove, dodatno nas otuđiti jedne od drugih? Ako želimo da nas se čuje, jesmo li i sami voljni saslušati?
Snažna je moć riječi, jezika. Mogu povrijediti više nego oštrica mača, ali i pokrenuti brda.

"Masovno uništenje ne počinje s koncentracijskim logorima ili plinskim komorama. Diskriminacija uvijek počinje riječima. Počinje jezikom."

"Ljutnja je osjećaj s najdužim pamćenjem."

"Živimo u doba u kojem je previše informacija, manje znanja i još manje mudrosti... Znanje zahtijeva čitanje. Knjige. Dubinske analize. Istraživačko novinarstvo. Zamislite načas: svijet bez knjiga, bez pripovijedanju, svijet bez empatije bio bi mnogo podjeljenije i samotnije mjesto za život. "

Zamislite samo! Čitajte, čitajte, čitajte! 📚🧐

[Lukas Vermeer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does not deliver. She’s not wrong, I just don’t see the point.

[Mahnoosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

«هیچ عذابی بالاتر از این نیست که داستانی ناگفته را در سینه نگاه داری.»


با بقیه‌ی کتاب های شافاک تفاوت داره .کوتاه و مفید.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 2 out of 5]

A better title for this book would be, "How to Reiterate Ideas We're All Likely to Agree With for Fun and Profit". (The one in English is, "How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division".)

Almost all of us can agree that social media makes us drift further apart, that far right movements are bad and more honest conversation would be good; those who don't aren't likely to read Elif Shafak's 100-page essay past the first couple of pages, where she states her political allegiance loudly and clearly as she recounts seeing a trans woman in Istanbul.

Otherwise, it doesn't seem she's been listening carefully to more right-leaning views or concerns, so we have rhetorical questions about whether we'd rather pursue the ideal of making tons of money for ourselves, or if we'd rather we cared more for the vulnerable and were more connected to our environment.

It's an inspiring, motivational book containing pretty, idealistic ideas, but little of substance. I've scrapped similar blog posts of my own when I felt I wasn't saying anything much.

[Mouzhan · Rating 1 out of 5]

یه جستار شلخته که نمیدونم هدفش چی بود
خودمون همشو میدونیم وبا نخوندنش هیچی رو از دست نمیدیم.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Και να μία από τις βασικές προκλήσεις για μας: πώς θα καταφέρουμε να εμπλακούμε σε όλα αυτά και συνάμα να παραμείνουμε πνευματικά υγιείς;"

[Udit Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is indeed an apposite to the present scenario of the world. The book is very brief and concise but does cover topics which has great magnitude and importance. Some of the lessons I gathered from the book are -

1. We must strive to become intellectual nomads, keep moving, keep learning, resist confining ourselves in any cultural or mental ghetto, and spend more time at margins where the real change comes from.

2. In a world that has increasingly become complex and challenging, group narcissism has become a compensation for personal failures, flaws & frustrations.

3. Democracy is much more fragile than we thought it was. It is a very delicate system of checks and balances that constantly needs to be nourished and nurtured.

4. In a world that is ever shifting and unpredictable it is totally fine not to feel fine. It is perfectly okay not to be okay.

5. One of the greatest paradoxes of our time is that hardliners are more passionate, engaged and involved than many moderates.

6. Dont be afraid of complexity. Be afraid of people who promise an easy shortcut to simplicity.

[Heidi Amar · Rating 5 out of 5]

عقلي مكتظ بالكلمات لكني لا أعرف ماذا اكتب. لخصت أليف شافاك كل القضايا التي تشغل عقل الإنسان المعاصر في عدد قليل من المقالات. لقد كانت بكل بساطة تشير إلى موضع المشكلة وتحللها بعقلانية كاملة وواقعية بأقل عدد من الجمل. أزمة اللاجئين، الفقر، العنصرية، المناخ الديمقراطية، وغيرها من ازمات تسببت في فرض حالة من القلق والغضب، وتبلد المشاعر والخذلان والحيرة.

صحيح أنه كتاب ب٦١ صفحة لكنه أفضل من كتب عدد صفحاتها بالمئات.


أنا بحب أليف شافاك أوي ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب جميل جدا و مفيد

[Nastaran Masoomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

کمی کمتراز سه ستاره

برش از متن:
فرزانگی در عصر تفرقه | الیف شافاک
سرزمینهای مادری که ترکشان ،گفتیم به سوگندهایی شباهت دارند که در کودکی یاد کردیم. ممکن است دیگر باورشان نداشته باشیم حتی ممکن است خیلی در موردشان فکر نکنیم اما هنوز هم نمیتوانیم آزادانه در موردشان صحبت .کنیم رازهایی نهفته هستند جوابهایی که فرو داده شده‌اند دردهایی که ناگفته مانده‌اند زخمهایی کهنه که باز کرده اند. عشق‌های اولی هستند که هنوز فراموش نشده اند ممکن است مصمم به ترک سرزمین مادری خود باشیم چون از سفاهت‌ها و پوچی‌ها و خصومت‌ها و ظلم وستم‌هایش خسته شده‌ایم ولی واقعیت این است که آنها هرگز ما را رها نخواهندکرد. آنها همچون سایه هایی هستند که در گوشه گوشه زمین همراهمان خواهند آمد، گاه جلوتر از ما راه میروند گاهی عقب میافتند اما هرگز خیلی دور نمیشوند به خاطر همین است که مدت‌ها پس مهاجرت اگر به دقت گوش ،کنیم همچنان ردپایی از سرزمینهای مادری خود را در لهجه های نه چندان خوب، لبخندهای نصفه نیمه و سکوت‌های معذب خود خواهیم یافت.

انتشارات میلکان

[John Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heard her in conversation recently at the Charleston Festival, Sussex and was very impressed. My wife subsequently bought me this, along with E.S’s novel, There Are Rivers In The Sky.

A useful Mindfulness ‘missal’: plenty of common sense from a liberal perspective. Nothing very startling. She’s very well read and her background is interesting. She’s now on my radar!