The Anatomy of Peace / The Arbinger Institute

RATINGS

Overall: 3.5/ 5 stars

Text Level: Medium

Entertainment: Low

Self-Help: High

Page Count: 257

Is this book right for me and my inmate?

If you are an individual that finds yourself in constant conflicts where justifying your anger for your position if more important than living with compassion, read this book.

Buy on: Amazon

Review By: Blackbird (Inmate)

Learning compassion towards forgiveness to help overcome outward and inward conflict.

I think back to my pat life before i was incarcerated and how quickly I was able to judge, hold grudges and war against others that challenged my status quo. Often it didn’t matter about the validity of what was being said. What was mots important was justifying my position on the topic no matter how much I ad to trust my stance to make it work. Living this way makes it impossible to find peace. Not just with those around you, but in your own soul. This is a life of constant war.

Learning to break away from this warring state to reconnect and find peace is what this book is all about. Reading through it I saw how when we approach conflict looking for justifications to our rage and anger it won’t matter if we get our way, the damage to all involved will be done. Seeing my relationships and conflicts in this way was common to me in the past. The only thing that mattered frequently was if in the end I got my way. I see that not as love for others or for myself.

An important portion of this book dealt with creating healthy strong partnerships. They could be partnerships at work or personal. Learning not to bulldoze my partners has been a painful realization I have made over my time incarcerated. In the past if I thought it was the best thing for us I would push and push. I can see how that creates not a feeling of love but belittlement and resentment as the person who have to give in to my way. If I love them and see them as a true person, valid just as much as me, then allowing us both to exist in truth is key.

I wish I would have read this book years ago, but I am grateful that I had it now because I think I am better suited and ready to understand it. If any of this applies to you, read this book.

Book Quotes

"No one can force a warring heart upon us. When our hearts go to war, we ourselves have chosen it.”

“Difficult people are nevertheless people, and it always remains in our power to see them that way.“