Tuesday, 22 December 2020

How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division– Elif Shafak

For certain reasons, it seems to me that this year draws a perfect circle. A thing that also applies to wonderful reading. I started and finished this year by reading something that Elif Shafak wrote.

Fury, anxiety, suffering, sadness and loneliness are the main characters of this book. All, actually, have one common goal – to hold up a mirror to our faces. Let us look at us in this mirror and realize our feelings and not give in to them. Just like Elif Shafak writes, we are all emotional creatures and, whether we admit it or not, we act according to our emotions. And this is where we must pay attention, for our actions may start things we do not want for us or the generations to come.

Identity is another theme of this book. What defines us? The country we were born in, the one we live in, our gender, aspirations or the organizations we belong to?

‘Put me together with an author from Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Albania or Romania and you will be surprised to see how much we have in common.’

It soothed me and will keep as token the following:

‘Do not be afraid of complexity. But do fear those that promise you a shortcut to simplicity.’

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