hers, and taking others’ perspectives—and challenges readers to begin applying these practices to the way they relate to themselves, their families, their communities, and even enemy nations.
For example, in a chapter titled “How Should We Speak to One Another?” she writes that when we “make an effort to hear the pain or fear that surfaces in body language, tone of voice, and choice of imagery,” we can better understand the anger of our enemies.
Though she writes from a religious historian’s perspective, and sprinkles passages from religious texts throughout the book, much of what she writes also has a basis in psychology and neuroscience research. While not denying the darker sides of human nature—“There is no doubt that in the deepest recess of their minds, men and women are indeed ruthlessly selfish”—Armstrong cites research on the brain that suggests the human neocortex has evolved to make us more self-aware, counterbalancing our more “primitive” brain centers, which evolved for survival. These newer brain functions allow humans to put aside selfish needs and act empathically and altruistically. She suggests that cultivating our powers of reason will help us overcome age-old instincts toward rejecting those who seem different from us.
To some this message may seem naïve, but Armstrong makes clear that compassion isn’t just a lofty idea; it’s desperately needed in our world, and it takes real effort to cultivate. She consistently challenges her readers to make peace-building a personal quest.
For example, in her chapter on empathy, she suggests that we use mindfulness to understand negative emotions like hatred. She prompts us to consider why we might harbor negative feelings toward someone else, asking, “Does she threaten your interests, get in your way, or behave in a manner that makes you think less well of yourself?” Her goal is not to put a smiley face on hostility but to root out its causes, and transform it.
Indeed, Armstrong consistently makes the reader see the practical necessity and political urgency of fostering a more compassionate world. She urges us to take responsibility for embracing our compassionate natures and nurturing our better selves in order to stop hatred, violence, and injustice around the world.
“In our global village, everybody is our neighbor, and it is essential to make allies of our enemies,” she writes. “In the last resort, this kind of ‘love’ and ‘concern for everybody’ will serve our best interest better than short-sighted and self-serving policies.”