Elif Shafak

It feels like the world is falling apart. So how do we keep hold of our optimism? How do we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this world of division?In this beautifully written and illuminating polemic, Booker Prize nominee Elif Shafak reflects on our age of pessimism, when emotions guide and misguide our politics, and misinformation and fear are the norm. A tender, uplifting plea for optimism, Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to reveal how writing can nurture democracy, tolerance and progress. And in the process, she answers one of the most urgent questions of our time.

How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division

loisesya

“The motherlands we have walked out on resemble the oaths we have taken as children. We might not believe in them any more, we might not even think about them much, but they still tie our tongues. They are the secrets withheld, answers swallowed, hurts unspoken, old wounds opened fresh, first loves unforgotten. Adamant though we may be to abandon our motherlands, because God knows we have had enough of them, enough of their stupidities and absurdities and hostilities and cruelties, the truth is they will never abandon us. They are shadows that tag along with us to the four corners of the earth, sometimes they walk ahead of us, sometimes they fall behind, but they are never too far. That is why, even long after our migrations and relocations, if you listen carefully, you can still detect traces of they our motherlands in our broken accents, halfsmiles, uncomfortable silences.”

★★★★ // a short but insightful read about the troubles of divide intensified by the pandemic and widespread misinformation. i find the first part most interesting as it talks about the inability or lack of opportunity for some to have their voices heard. knowledge becomes so limited and controlled by a small group of people that it leaves no room for the minority to be heard, so people just choose to be silent. we will probably never go back to the way we were before, but the book challenges us to continue listening to the stories and to never get tired of getting a deeper and better understanding of others. 
  ”It is mostly through stories that we learn to think, perceive, feel and remember the world in a more nuanced and reflective way. As we gain a better understanding of the struggles of people from different backgrounds, and start to imagine lives beyond the one we are living, we recognise the complexity and richness of identities and the damage we do to ourselves and to others when we seek to reduce them to a single defining characteristic.”

azer

A great little book that walks us one of the most compassionate and brilliant minds alive today. 

“Stories bring us together, untold stories keep us apart.”

How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division

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