Author: Elif Shafak
This is a very short read but an important one. In today’s world of division it is sometimes hard to see where you fit, to see where your ideas, values and opinions meet. Society focuses on the “us vs them” narrative leaving little room for people in the middle. How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak encourages people of all different opinions to communicate.
This book was very recently published, so recent, that it includes commentary on the current protests in the United States and the ongoing global pandemic. I recommend everyone read this book, in hopes that it will underline the importance of understanding the views of others.
Since this book is short, I will not detail what it is about (the title gives the plot away anyway!). Instead, I will list below the quotes that impacted me the most.
Book Quotes:
Part 1: Introduction
“We are made of stories — those that have happened, those that are still happening at this moment in time and those that are shaped purely in our imagination through words, images, dreams and an endless sense of wonder about the world around us and how it works. Unvarnished truths, innermost reflections, fragments of memory, wounds unhealed. Not to be able to tell your story, to be silenced and shut out, therefore, is to be dehumanized. It strikes at your sanity, the validity of your version of events. It creates a profound, and existential anxiety in us.” (page 9)
“… when you feel alone don’t look within, look out and look beyond for others who feel the same way, for there are always others, and if you connect with them and with their story, you will be able to see everything in a new light.” (page 14)
“The moment we stop listening to diverse opinions is also when we stop learning. Because the truth is we don’t learn much from the sameness and monotony. We usually learn from differences.” (page 16)
Part 2: Disillusionment and Bewilderment
“Whether in public or digital spaced nuanced debates are not welcome anymore. ” (page 29)
“In the aftermath of the pandemic fewer tourists will be able to take overseas trips, fewer international students will apply, and fewer immigrant workers will be welcomed. It worries me immensely, seeing the walls rise higher and higher.” (page 45)
Part 5: Apathy
“When we are indifferent, disconnected, atomized. Too busy with our own lives to care about others. Uninterested in and unmoved by someone else’s pain. That is the most dangerous emotion — the lack of emotion.” (page 77)
“One of the greatest paradoxes of our times is the hardliners are more passionate, engaged and involved than many moderates. When we do not engage in civil discourse and public space, we become increasingly isolated and disconnected, thereby breeding apathy.” (page 77)
Part 6: Information, Knowledge, Wisdom
“Perhaps in an era when everything is in constant flux, in order to be more sane, we need a blend of conscious optimism and creative pessimism.” (page 87)
“It is natural to seek out a collegial and congenial group who will reinforce our core values and primary goals, and bring us closer to the stories we want to hear and prioritize. That can be a good starting point but it cannot be the entire destination.” (page 89)
About the Author:
Elif Sharak is a British – Turkish author, that has published 17 books. She advocates for women’s rights, minority rights and free speech. Sharak is a founding member of the European Council of Foreign Affairs. She has also spoken at TED Global.
Other books she has published:
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
Three Daughters of Eve
The Forty Rules of Love
Turning Pages with Trish 