Author: Jonathan Leighton
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 087586872X
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Get Book
Book Description
Six hundred years after Copernicus presented his revolutionary and heretical heliocentric theory, a sunset can still look unexpectedly new. What if the fate of our world depended on a similar shift in perspective?. Synthesizing recent thinking from science, philosophy, psychology and economics with the authorOCOs own reflections on freedom, identity and morality, The Battle for Compassion offers a fresh, sweeping perspective on the human condition and a deep contemplation of the basis for our priorities at this critical moment in our history. The threats to our existence and the persistence of intense suffering are closely intertwined issues with similar underlying causes. Addressing them honestly requires us to reflect detachedly on who we are, probe the boundaries of ethical thinking, and ask some really big questions. What matters? What are the basic forces driving our speciesOCO trajectory, and where are they leading us? And what would it realistically take for us to preserve a future worth living in?. These questions recur as we go through life and experience bliss and pain, the passing of time, the kindness and cruelty of our fellow humans, the monotony of routine and the shock of unanticipated change. This book ponders these pivotal questions and attempts to offer some answers."
Author: Jonathan Leighton
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 0875868703
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Get Book
Book Description
Six hundred years after Copernicus presented his revolutionary and heretical heliocentric theory, a sunset can still look unexpectedly new. What if the fate of our world depended on a similar shift in perspective? Synthesizing recent thinking from science, philosophy, psychology and economics with the author's own reflections on freedom, identity and morality, The Battle for Compassion offers a fresh, sweeping perspective on the human condition and a deep contemplation of the basis for our priorities at this critical moment in our history. The threats to our existence and the persistence of intense suffering are closely intertwined issues with similar underlying causes. Addressing them honestly requires us to reflect detachedly on who we are, probe the boundaries of ethical thinking, and ask some really big questions. What matters? What are the basic forces driving our species' trajectory, and where are they leading us? And what would it realistically take for us to preserve a future worth living in? These questions recur as we go through life and experience bliss and pain, the passing of time, the kindness and cruelty of our fellow humans, the monotony of routine and the shock of unanticipated change. This book ponders these pivotal questions and attempts to offer some answers.
Author: Marc Bekoff
Publisher: New World Library
ISBN: 1577319540
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 218
Get Book
Book Description
In wildlife conservation, rewilding refers to restoring habitats and creating corridors between preserved lands to allow declining populations to rebound. Marc Bekoff, one of the world’s leading animal experts and activists, here applies rewilding to human attitudes. Rewilding Our Hearts invites readers to do the essential work of becoming reenchanted with the world, acting from the inside out, and dissolving false boundaries to truly connect with both nature and themselves.
Author: Paul Bloom
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062339354
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Get Book
Book Description
New York Post Best Book of 2016 We often think of our capacity to experience the suffering of others as the ultimate source of goodness. Many of our wisest policy-makers, activists, scientists, and philosophers agree that the only problem with empathy is that we don’t have enough of it. Nothing could be farther from the truth, argues Yale researcher Paul Bloom. In AGAINST EMPATHY, Bloom reveals empathy to be one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society. Far from helping us to improve the lives of others, empathy is a capricious and irrational emotion that appeals to our narrow prejudices. It muddles our judgment and, ironically, often leads to cruelty. We are at our best when we are smart enough not to rely on it, but to draw instead upon a more distanced compassion. Basing his argument on groundbreaking scientific findings, Bloom makes the case that some of the worst decisions made by individuals and nations—who to give money to, when to go to war, how to respond to climate change, and who to imprison—are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions. With precision and wit, he demonstrates how empathy distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the justice system; from medical care and education to parenting and marriage. Without empathy, Bloom insists, our decisions would be clearer, fairer, and—yes—ultimately more moral. Brilliantly argued, urgent and humane, AGAINST EMPATHY shows us that, when it comes to both major policy decisions and the choices we make in our everyday lives, limiting our impulse toward empathy is often the most compassionate choice we can make.
Author: Justin Giboney
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830848118
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 165
Get Book
Book Description
Christian Book Award® program Outreach Resource of the Year Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives? Too often, political questions are framed in impossible ways for the faithful Christian: we're forced to choose between social justice and biblical values, between supporting women and opposing abortion. As a result, it's easy for Christians to grow disillusioned with civic engagement or fall back into tribal extremes. This state of affairs has damaged Christian public witness and divided the church. The authors of this book represent the AND Campaign, which exists to educate and organize Christians for faithful civic and cultural engagement. They insist that not only are we called to love our neighbors through the political process but also that doing so requires us to transcend the binary way the debates are usually framed. In simple, understandable language, they lay out the biblical case for political engagement and help Christians navigate the complex world of politics with integrity, from political messaging and the politics of race to protests, advocacy, and more. The book includes a study guide for classroom use and group discussion. When we understand our civic engagement as a way to obey Christ's call to love our neighbor, we see that it is possible to engage the political process with both love and truth—compassion and conviction.
Author: Aura Glaser
Publisher: Nicolas-Hays, Inc.
ISBN: 0892546212
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Get Book
Book Description
Aura Glaser wrote this book to remedy a deficiency she discovered while engaged in psychological research–a nearly complete omission of the importance and cultivation of compassion. Other books exploring Buddhism and psychology have focused on what the Theravada school of Buddhism–which teaches personal liberation through enlightenment–can offer psychology. A Call to Compassion works with Mahayana Buddhism, in which practitioners commit to the liberation of all sentient beings, with compassion central to attaining that goal.In her fascinating and exceptionally clear and concise review of the work of Freud, Jung, and others, Glaser shows how psychology has been ambivalent about the subject of compassion and therefore has developed no methodology for helping individuals cultivate this essential quality in the service of helping others. Glaser introduces as a remedy the Buddhist practice of the lojong, expressed in the text of The Seven Points of Mind Training, for developing love and compassion. With modern-day life examples, she illustrates the four major points: compassion for self, compassion for others, exchanging self and others, and no self and no other–affirming that these points are indeed attainable. If we make the effort to contemplate, understand, and truly integrate these four essentials, we will have a sound basis for both psychological health and genuine transformation.“/DIV>
Author: Matthew Senecal
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 109800650X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 90
Get Book
Book Description
The lack of compassion for self and others blurs our perception. We can choose to either fight our nature or go with it. There is no better time than now to begin looking at ourselves and others through the eyes of compassion. In reading this book, your subconscious will be opened, guiding you to parts of self you may have forgotten. It allows all of what you are to come forward in its authenticity, creating a philosophy and habit of acceptance, holding you as you are in compassion with all your faults, emotions, and grief. A gentle guidance to a place where you are willing to be with oneself and others during peace or pain without needing distraction, The Internal Battle of Compassion was written to help guide the reader to a state of true, unfiltered compassion within oneself. There is no one true solution, no standard formula that will solve all problems. There is only your willingness to stay open to a possibility of authentic change, growth, and an honest connection within self and to the world around you. Questions will be answered, yet more questions will be raised. If your heart stays receptive and mind stays clear, you will be guided to hold compassion for all parts of self and life equally. Before this work was thought of, a vivid dream of an elephant with one tusk burned itself into my memory. A large elephant head with one tusk left me asking questions and searching. Searching for what this may have meant and what it could represent, I was lead to an old Indian symbol of Ganesh. Oblivious to what I was looking for, I found all the answers and teachers I could ever want. Through my journey, I was guided to start writing about these newfound experiences. coming to grips with more and more of myself, I received everything I ever wanted only to find it all to be a representation of the parts of myself I was unable to acknowledge or accept. Not until I was put in a dark corner by life's many lessons could I see myself clearly, and how compassion and the grace of being willing to suffer with oneself would change the way I lived my life, and how each moment is now cherished and not only a means to an end. My journey has become a continuous cycle of expansion in one's mind, body, and soul. Finding acceptance for anything life places in front of me, and to deal with it without resistance or force.
Author: Karen Armstrong
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0307595633
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Get Book
Book Description
One of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world—author of such acclaimed books as A History of God, Islam, and Buddha—now gives us an impassioned and practical book that can help us make the world a more compassionate place. Karen Armstrong believes that while compassion is intrinsic in all human beings, each of us needs to work diligently to cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion. Here, in this straightforward, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book, she sets out a program that can lead us toward a more compassionate life. The twelve steps Armstrong suggests begin with “Learn About Compassion” and close with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she takes up “compassion for yourself,” mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” She suggests concrete ways of enhancing our compassion and putting it into action in our everyday lives, and provides, as well, a reading list to encourage us to “hear one another’s narratives.” Throughout, Armstrong makes clear that a compassionate life is not a matter of only heart or mind but a deliberate and often life-altering commingling of the two.
Author: Jamil Zaki
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0451499255
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Get Book
Book Description
“In this masterpiece, Jamil Zaki weaves together the very latest science with stories that will stay in your heart forever.”—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit Don’t miss Jamil Zaki’s TED Talk, “We’re experiencing an empathy shortage, but we can fix it together,” online now. Empathy is in short supply. We struggle to understand people who aren’t like us, but find it easy to hate them. Studies show that we are less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States was suffering from an “empathy deficit.” Since then, things seem to have only gotten worse. It doesn’t have to be this way. In this groundbreaking book, Jamil Zaki shares cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. He also tells the stories of people who embody this new perspective, fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. We meet a former neo-Nazi who is now helping to extract people from hate groups, ex-prisoners discussing novels with the judge who sentenced them, Washington police officers changing their culture to decrease violence among their ranks, and NICU nurses fine-tuning their empathy so that they don’t succumb to burnout. Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. The future may depend on whether we accept the challenge. Praise for The War for Kindness “A wide-ranging practical guide to making the world better.”—NPR “Relating anecdotes and test cases from his fellow researchers, news events and the imaginary world of literature and entertainment, Zaki makes a vital case for ‘fighting for kindness.’ . . . If he’s right—and after reading The War for Kindness, you’ll probably think so—Zaki’s work is right on time.” —San Francisco Chronicle “In this landmark book, Jamil Zaki gives us a revolutionary perspective on empathy: Empathy can be developed, and, when it is, people, relationships, organizations, and cultures are changed.”—Carol Dweck, author of Mindset
Author: Matthew W. Senecal
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781098006495
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 112
Get Book
Book Description
The lack of compassion for self and others blurs our perception. We can choose to either fight our nature or go with it. There is no better time than now to begin looking at ourselves and others through the eyes of compassion. In reading this book, your subconscious will be opened, guiding you to parts of self you may have forgotten. It allows all of what you are to come forward in its authenticity, creating a philosophy and habit of acceptance, holding you as you are in compassion with all your faults, emotions, and grief. A gentle guidance to a place where you are willing to be with oneself and others during peace or pain without needing distraction, The Internal Battle of Compassion was written to help guide the reader to a state of true, unfiltered compassion within oneself. There is no one true solution, no standard formula that will solve all problems. There is only your willingness to stay open to a possibility of authentic change, growth, and an honest connection within self and to the world around you. Questions will be answered, yet more questions will be raised. If your heart stays receptive and mind stays clear, you will be guided to hold compassion for all parts of self and life equally. Before this work was thought of, a vivid dream of an elephant with one tusk burned itself into my memory. A large elephant head with one tusk left me asking questions and searching. Searching for what this may have meant and what it could represent, I was lead to an old Indian symbol of Ganesh. Oblivious to what I was looking for, I found all the answers and teachers I could ever want. Through my journey, I was guided to start writing about these newfound experiences. coming to grips with more and more of myself, I received everything I ever wanted only to find it all to be a representation of the parts of myself I was unable to acknowledge or accept. Not until I was put in a dark corner by life's many lessons could I see myself clearly, and how compassion and the grace of being willing to suffer with oneself would change the way I lived my life, and how each moment is now cherished and not only a means to an end. My journey has become a continuous cycle of expansion in one's mind, body, and soul. Finding acceptance for anything life places in front of me, and to deal with it without resistance or force.
