Living Like Crazy

"Written by one of the world’s leading psychologists on evolutionary approaches to mental health problems Living Like Crazy looks into the sources of our craziness, cruelty and mindless callousness rooted in evolved gene-based strategies for nepotism, tribalism, power-seeking, greed and self-absorption. He reveals how cultures can accentuate or dampen these dark-sides of our nature. Yet we have the potential to create a very different type of mind and social world. With insight into the nature of our minds we can purposefully cultivate our evolved capacities for compassion and altruism. There are many indicators that this is now happening. Based on previously unpublished writings, this is a wonderful book that brings our focus to both the dark sides of our nature, but also to how compassion is our path to alleviate our own, other people’s, and societies suffering." Chris Irons, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Co-Director of Balanced Minds and Author of Depression and The Compassionate Mind Workbook

"Paul Gilbert is a global force in the science of compassion. In this fascinating book, Gilbert takes us far beyond the psychology of meditation. Living Like Crazy guides us on a journey to a radical sanity - that might just change your life. If you have enjoyed learning about mindfulness or self-compassion, do yourself a big favor and begin reading Living Like Crazy today". Dennis Tirch PhD, author of The Compassionate Mind Approach to Overcoming Anxiety, founder of The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy in NY, USA.

"Living Like Crazy by renowned international compassion and evolutionary psychologist Paul Gilbert dives into our innate potential for some of our dark sides of power, tribalism, status, aggression, cruelty and war. He reveals how the competitiveness of modern life can act as the perfect echo chamber that magnifies our less appealing qualities. Gilbert plants many seeds of compassion throughout the book as a way of helping orient the mind to bring the best out of ourselves and humanity. The book is a refreshing insight into the craziness of human living and provides excellent insights into the mind from a range of perspectives including evolution, neuroscience, culture, and philosophy. It is a must-read book and confirms Gilbert as a one of the most original and forward thinkers of our time." James Kirby, PhD, director of the Compassionate Mind Research Group, The University of Queensland

"Paul Gilbert has created another masterpiece about the mind, and about how its archetypal potential can be dangerously shaped by culture, inadvertently forcing us to live in crazy and destructive ways. This book gracefully nudges us to recognise the costly psychological defenses that we use to cope with the reality of suffering and how cultivating compassion can enable us to hone our brains (and hearts) for increased balance, connection, health and the social good". Nicola Petrocchi, P...

acknowledgements i

preface to the second edition v

foreword viii

1. social craziness 1

2. from whence we came 17

3. the archetypal mind 62

4. the biosocial mind 103

5. the desire for recognition…  135

6. shame, pride and freedom 164

7. power and leadership 214

8. submitting, following and rebellion 250

9. cruelty and callousness 292

10. religion 343

11. challenging the myths of competitive life 394

12. working for compassion 443

postscript 486

references 537

index 564