The Cosmic Ocean
Описание книги
The Cosmic Ocean shares the treasures that Paul K. Chappell, a West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran, who grew up in a violent household, has extracted from trauma. To explain how these treasures—which take the form of timeless truths—can help us solve our personal, national, and global problems, this book uses personal stories and extensive research to journey through time, around the world, and into every facet of the human condition.To survive and progress as a global human family, Chappell explains that we need a paradigm shift that can transform our understanding of peace, justice, love, happiness, and what it means to be human. To help create this paradigm shift, The Cosmic Ocean explores diverse subjects such as empathy, rage, nonviolent struggle, war, beauty, religion, philosophy, science, Gandhi, the Iliad, slavery, human sacrifice, video games, sports, and our shared humanity.
Оглавление
Paul K. Chappell. The Cosmic Ocean
CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
PREFACE. The Human Condition. Finding Light in Darkness
The Problem of Purpose
CHAPTER 1. A Dark Night Filled with Predators. Predators in the Home
1. Cause
2. Intimacy
3. Age
4. Helplessness
5. Unpredictability and Period of Time
6. Rupturing of Trust
7. Lack of a Support Network
Two Ways to Drown
The World’s Most Unusual Predator
CHAPTER 2. Poseidon’s Wrath. Freaks of the Universe
Why Humans Ask Why
The Cruel Kiss of Mother Earth
CHAPTER 3. Tools Made of Flesh, Blood, and Bones. When Tools Begin to Scream
This Is the Thing to Bomb
Cruelty and Brutality
Painting with Knives
Angels of Empathy
CHAPTER 4. Soldiers as Christ Figures. What The Iliad Teaches Us About War, West Point, and Being Human
The Paradox of Christianity
The Religion of War
CHAPTER 5. Beauty and Belonging. The Tightrope of Beauty
Expand Our Perception of Beauty
CHAPTER 6. The Sanity of Humanity. The Art of Fighting Demons
Feed Our Spiritual Organs
CHAPTER 7. Sailing the Night Sky. The Secrets of Video Games
Increase the Clarity of Communication
CHAPTER 8. The Mystery Beneath the Waves. The Tree of Life
Change the Quality of Our Suffering
Notes. Preface: The Human Condition
Chapter 1: A Dark Night Filled with Predators
Chapter 2: Poseidon’s Wrath
Chapter 3: Tools Made of Flesh, Blood, and Bones
Chapter 4: Soldiers as Christ Figures
Chapter 5: Beauty and Belonging
Chapter 6: The Sanity of Humanity
Chapter 7: Sailing the Night Sky
Chapter 8: The Mystery Beneath the Waves
Index
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For the unsung heroes of peace and justice
Preface: The Human Condition
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Of course, being kidnapped or becoming a prisoner of war are terrible situations that can break even the strongest minds after a prolonged period of time, but the more purpose and meaning people have, the longer it can take for them to be broken. As Victor Frankl said in the earlier quote, “Woe to him who saw no more sense in his life, no aim, no purpose, and therefore no point in carrying on. He was soon lost.”22
Just as food and water can nourish and strengthen our body, purpose and meaning can nourish and strengthen our mind. Victor Frankl referred to our craving for purpose and meaning as the “will to meaning.” He realized people of all races and religions experience this kind of hunger, because it is part of our shared humanity. In a world where so many are starving for purpose and meaning, how can we best feed ourselves? According to Frankl, people often feed their craving for purpose and meaning with activities that are empty and unsatisfying, just as eating dirt does not satisfy our stomachs and drinking salt water does not satisfy our thirst.
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