Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides
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- Create Date：2022-11-24 06:51:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Geoffrey L. Cohen
- ISBN：1324006188
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Summary
We live in enormously polarized times。 From politics to race， religion， gender， and class， division runs rampant。 In 2020， 40 percent of each political party said that supporters of the opposing party were “downright evil。” In 2019， hate crimes reached a ten-year high in the United States。 One in five Americans suffers from chronic loneliness， with teenagers and young adults at increasing risk。 Social ties at work， at school， and in our communities have frayed。 How did we become so alienated？ Why is our sense of belonging so undermined？ What if there were a set of science-backed techniques for navigating modern social life that could help us overcome our differences， create empathy， and forge lasting connections even across divides？ What if there were a useful set of takeaways for managers and educators of all stripes to create connection even during challenging times？
In Belonging， Stanford University professor Geoffrey L。 Cohen applies his and others’ groundbreaking research to the myriad problems of communal existence and offers concrete solutions for improving daily life at work， in school， in our homes， and in our communities。 We all feel a deep need to belong， but most of us don’t fully appreciate that need in others。 Often inadvertently， we behave in ways that threaten others’ sense of belonging。 Yet small acts that establish connection， brief activities such as reflecting on our core values， and a suite of practices that Cohen defines as “situation-crafting” have been shown to lessen political polarization， improve motivation and performance in school and work， combat racism in our communities， enhance health and well-being， and unleash the potential in ourselves and in our relationships。 Belonging is essential for managers， educators， parents， administrators， caregivers， and everyone who wants those around them to thrive。
In Belonging， Stanford University professor Geoffrey L。 Cohen applies his and others’ groundbreaking research to the myriad problems of communal existence and offers concrete solutions for improving daily life at work， in school， in our homes， and in our communities。 We all feel a deep need to belong， but most of us don’t fully appreciate that need in others。 Often inadvertently， we behave in ways that threaten others’ sense of belonging。 Yet small acts that establish connection， brief activities such as reflecting on our core values， and a suite of practices that Cohen defines as “situation-crafting” have been shown to lessen political polarization， improve motivation and performance in school and work， combat racism in our communities， enhance health and well-being， and unleash the potential in ourselves and in our relationships。 Belonging is essential for managers， educators， parents， administrators， caregivers， and everyone who wants those around them to thrive。
Reviews
Dan Connors
，
"A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people。 We are biologically， cognitively， physically， and spiritually wired to love， to be loved， and to belong。 When those needs are not met， we don't function as we were meant to。 We break。 We fall apart。 We numb。 We ache。 We hurt others。 We get sick。"Brene Brown When you walk into a social gathering， workplace， schoolroom， store， or restaurant， do you ever ask yourself the question- do I belong here？ Do I feel comfortable aroun "A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people。 We are biologically， cognitively， physically， and spiritually wired to love， to be loved， and to belong。 When those needs are not met， we don't function as we were meant to。 We break。 We fall apart。 We numb。 We ache。 We hurt others。 We get sick。"Brene Brown When you walk into a social gathering， workplace， schoolroom， store， or restaurant， do you ever ask yourself the question- do I belong here？ Do I feel comfortable around these people， or do I feel threatened？ Do they accept and respect me， or are they judging me and wishing that I'd change or leave？ The epidemic of loneliness and disconnection that has swept the planet can be tied to this one concept- belonging。 Humans are intensely social creatures， much as we'd like to deny it， and to survive we need safe spaces where we can feel connection with others。 The problem comes when we are so hungry to belong to any group， that we settle for a conditional sort of belonging that pits us vs them， creating bad guys， outcasts， and people to hate。 Belonging， a new book by Geoffrey Cohen， takes an in-depth look at the problem of belonging and self-concept， and how it applies to perceived threats in schools， workplaces， health care settings， politics， and relationships。 The author is a professor of Psychology at Stanford University， and he backs up his assertions with a dizzying array of studies from the field of social psychology。 This is his first book。 Cohen talks about what he calls belonging uncertainty， which can be very damaging， especially for the most vulnerable among us- people of color， the very young， very old， handicapped people， and anybody else who has reason to believe that they don't quite fit in to the ideal stereotype。 Studies have shown that these people are less resilient than their more fortunate peers。 Small incidents that could happen to anybody are blown out of proportion and pinned on belonging uncertainty， causing loss of self-esteem and starting a negative spiral that leads to dropping out of schools and workplaces。 This leads into one of the main ideas of this book- the fundamental attribution error。 This cognitive bias is the source of many of our social ills- racism， sexism， hate， and discrimination。 It is the mistaken belief that some people are just fundamentally good and some are fundamentally bad or inferior。 Harmful actions by the in-group are ignored or excused， while those by the "bad" guys are fundamental examples of their bad character。 Instead， studies have shown that many of our activities are situational， not baked in。 Before judging someone for their situation， look at where they are coming from， and you will probably see how their life experiences have shaped them。 Much of our stratified society is built around the idea of the this bias， and it gets in the way of a feeling of belonging， especially when people take to heart that they are somehow irredeemable and give up hope of ever fitting in。 The author points to the famous Pygmalion Effect study of elementary school classrooms where teachers were given lists of students who were considered gifted， calling them "bloomers"。 The students on those lists proceeded to flourish and improve their IQ scores more than their classmates， even though their names were randomly drawn from a class list。 The teachers， believing that the students were special， treated them as special， and that made all the difference。 This effect has been seen in workplaces and schools all over， and it makes sense。 People， especially those who are young and unsure of their place in the world， look to authority figures like teachers and bosses for validation and encouragement as much as they look for food and water。 When presented with encouragement and high expectations， most of us deliver better results than when left alone or actively frowned upon。 Can anything be done about this problem？ Yes， says Dr。 Cohen。 He points to exhaustive studies that show how to raise feelings of belonging while improving empathy， connection， and openness。 He calls the most effective techniques "situation crafting"。 Since our behavior is largely shaped by our situations， changing the situations into something more inclusive can produce surprising benefits。 One example that he shares is in the classrooms， where a single teacher controls the learning and can choose favorites and outsiders。 Rather than put the teacher at the center of everything， there's another alternative called jigsaw groups， where classes are broken up into groups， with each group in charge of a topic， and the topics building on each other like a jigsaw puzzle。 When students work cooperatively with each other toward a common goal， belonging soars， but when they sit silently in a classroom with a teacher who plays favorites， it plummets。 Dr。 Cohen presents two powerful ideas that can transform almost any situation。 The first is wise feedback and criticism， where an authority figure honestly points to weaknesses in a project while assuring the recipient that they believe in them and know they have the ability to improve。 This is much more motivating than a nice smiley face written on a paper or a low grade and nasty scowl。 The second idea is values affirmation， where before entering into a situation， the person is encouraged to think about or write about their core values。 Tapping into this deep well of energy has shown to transform performances。 （Sample of these value activities for all ages can be found on his website- shown here。 Belonging is an inspiring， science-driven book that's perfect for our age of disconnection and judgement。 We are all so much more alike than different， it's such a shame that we can't see that in each other。 Dr。 Cohen finishes the book with in-depth looks at how belonging can be improved in specific areas like:- Schools。 Students must feel like they belong in their school and are respected and encouraged。 Wise interventions， especially for the most vulnerable， can help improve empathy， community， and performance。 The teen years especially can be a challenge to identity， and strong connections， friendly role models， and a safe place to learn are vital。- Workplaces。 Only a third of employees are truly engaged by their jobs according to studies， and much of that is because they don't feel like their employer cares about them。 Even before being hired， studies have shown that implicit biases weed out good candidates who don't fit preconceived notions。 Managers somehow have to make their employees feel important and appreciated by giving wise feedback， acknowledgment， and welcoming work conditions。- Health Care。 Hospitals and doctors offices can be sterile， unpleasant places。 Many health problems can be traced to mental and emotional health， and most will heal much better with support， especially from support groups of other people who are going through or have experienced the same health issues。 There's something called CTRA， （conserved transcriptional response to adversity）， that comes from chronic stress and the feeling of being threatened。 CTRA produces increased inflammation and decreased antiviral activity， both of which contribute to poorer and poorer health outcomes。 Connection and support counteract that impulse and is the best hope of the chronically ill。- Police。 Our law enforcement system is supposed to protect us。 But what happens when it's seen as biased and untrustworthy？ Citizens stop cooperating and police officers are seen as the enemy， when in reality they are there to keep the peace， which most of us want。 Cohen points to innovative solutions tried out in places like Australia and Camden， NJ where officers were encouraged to get out of their cars and interact with the community。 By crafting the situation of routine encounters， both officers and citizens can be made to feel that the system is helpful and legitimate， and that they all belong to the same community。- Politics。 Ironically， many of us find our main source of belonging by choosing a side in the political debates。 Those who are like us are the good guys and those who oppose us are evil。 But as we've seen， this increases hatred， prejudice， us vs them thinking， and zero sum strategies。 Luckily there are strategies out there that can counteract the polarization and help people find each other again。 These include asking open-ended questions， giving your own honest perspective and sharing your experiences， and affirming the other with respect。 This is harder than the simple shortcut of picking a side， but if enough of the right thought leaders did it， I think it could work。 This book says that it presents the science of creating connections and bridging divides， and it certainly does deliver， especially with the science。 We all have a need to belong， and we are also quick to judge others based on their race， creed， color or other attribute that codes them as "other"。 We are all "others"。 The situation that we all live in can be cruel and competitive， which rarely brings out the best in us。 Crafting the situations to improve connection makes more sense than giving up on others because we see them as fundamentally flawed。 This book presents the problem well， and even better it presents solutions that have worked in the real world。 I hope that more and more of those in positions of power and influence will realize the power of inclusion and community vastly outweighs the powers of us vs them。 。。。more
Benjamin Vanevery
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What hope this book brings！ It's not difficult to admit that too many humans are unhappy or struggling to find meaning。 What's much more difficult is to draw a line connecting the underlying causes *and then* to offer solutions and changes in our habits that actually seem doable。 I am so happy to have read this book and grateful to the author for writing it。 What hope this book brings！ It's not difficult to admit that too many humans are unhappy or struggling to find meaning。 What's much more difficult is to draw a line connecting the underlying causes *and then* to offer solutions and changes in our habits that actually seem doable。 I am so happy to have read this book and grateful to the author for writing it。 。。。more
CatReader
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This book is hardly novel （there have been dozens published on the topic of inclusion， belonging and building community in the past few years alone） but it is thorough， well-researched， and provocative。 Like most good books， it makes the reader feel uncomfortable， which is a necessary catalyst for changing minds。 My only major criticism is some excessive redundancy in the book's structure and anecdotes -- at 448 pages， or 11 hours for the audiobook version， some substantial cuts without weakenin This book is hardly novel （there have been dozens published on the topic of inclusion， belonging and building community in the past few years alone） but it is thorough， well-researched， and provocative。 Like most good books， it makes the reader feel uncomfortable， which is a necessary catalyst for changing minds。 My only major criticism is some excessive redundancy in the book's structure and anecdotes -- at 448 pages， or 11 hours for the audiobook version， some substantial cuts without weakening arguments could definitely have been made。 。。。more
Barbara Reiff
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This book helps to understand the unifying tools to be able to reach out to people whose life view is different from ours。 I was not only intrigued but developed tools that bridge gaps and unite people。
Aubrey Manwaring
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REALLY interesting book！ It had some great scientific research about how to bridge divides that have gotten so dramatic in our world today。 It was especially applicable to me as a teacher。 I took off a star just because after about 200 pages it started to just feel like equity training…which isn’t bad， but I lost a little steam。
Scott J Pearson
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In recent decades， American society has collectively forgotten the virtue of fostering belonging in others。 There seem to be many causes contributing to this central effect – political partisanship， technology， police injustices， lingering racism， the capitalistic thrust of media， and more。 Cohen， a Stanford psychology professor， takes aim at this rich topic by presenting a comprehensive theory driven by research and then drawing out several practical applications。 He does so to help modern soci In recent decades， American society has collectively forgotten the virtue of fostering belonging in others。 There seem to be many causes contributing to this central effect – political partisanship， technology， police injustices， lingering racism， the capitalistic thrust of media， and more。 Cohen， a Stanford psychology professor， takes aim at this rich topic by presenting a comprehensive theory driven by research and then drawing out several practical applications。 He does so to help modern social problems as well as to enhance individual effectiveness。This work gripped me from beginning to end。 However， it was not a page-turner to be read cover-to-cover in a handful of days。 Rather， I read one chapter per day and lingered on its applications to my life over time。 One chapter took me about an hour to read and gave me plenty of nuggets to chew on。 Even though research drives Cohen’s understanding， he presents it to be digested by the reading public。Cohen attempts to teach readers how to “craft situations” whereby others will feel like they belong。 He also presents compelling evidence that a sense of belonging has health， social， and bottom-line results。 This art of crafting situations requires some thought and nuance， but the book walks readers through how to adjust their thoughts towards this aim。 Front-page topics like race， gender and social media are explored throughout。 The conclusion even delineates several small adages to use with less scholarly audiences。This book is for anyone who has trouble interacting with people who are different than themselves。 So that includes just about everyone。 And this book is written with everyone in mind。 Though filled with academic research， it attempts to address the general public。 Personal anecdotes stand side-by-side with descriptions of studies。 Of course， in an America where people are growing increasingly suspicious of even their neighbors， this book is timely。 I， for one， look forward to applying its insights with my co-workers， friends， and neighbors。 。。。more
Meg
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A social pyschologist who has spent his career studying the the sense of "belonging" on college campuses explores the importance of social connection， how the situations of our everyday life foster it， and what it means to create an inclusive workplace， school， and society。 The case studies are fascinating。 Every leader should read this one！ A social pyschologist who has spent his career studying the the sense of "belonging" on college campuses explores the importance of social connection， how the situations of our everyday life foster it， and what it means to create an inclusive workplace， school， and society。 The case studies are fascinating。 Every leader should read this one！ 。。。more
Tom Foster
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I entered the giveaway contest for this book and it arrived in my mail and I'm glad it did。 Written by a social psychologist it almost reads like a sociology or psychology textbook， centered around the topic of the human need to feel like they belong to whatever group or relationship that they are in， whether it is work， educational or personal environments。 There are dozens of references to studies and experiments with groups of human subjects that are tested on the their behavior or beliefs un I entered the giveaway contest for this book and it arrived in my mail and I'm glad it did。 Written by a social psychologist it almost reads like a sociology or psychology textbook， centered around the topic of the human need to feel like they belong to whatever group or relationship that they are in， whether it is work， educational or personal environments。 There are dozens of references to studies and experiments with groups of human subjects that are tested on the their behavior or beliefs under certain controlled conditions and compared to a control group of people that perform the same task without the conditions that are being tested。 The result is a series of scenarios that show how your biases and assumptions cause misunderstanding and a loss of connection or belonging for so many people。 The book is so appropriate for our current divisive society that I wish as many people as possible at least get the information from the last summary chapter that has useful information， backed by scientific experiments that help people relate to others without falling into the us verses them trap。 。。。more
Samantha
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Thank you Goodreads and Geoffrey L。 Cohen for a free copy of Belonging for an honest review。 I actually really enjoyed this book。 I wanted to read this book because everything just feels so polarized right now。 Everyone wants to be a part of something and feel a sense of belonging within their communities。 There was a line in the book， Elie Wiesel believed the opposite of love to be not hate but indifference。 He called indifference the "epitome of evil。" Those two lines really stood out to me。 S Thank you Goodreads and Geoffrey L。 Cohen for a free copy of Belonging for an honest review。 I actually really enjoyed this book。 I wanted to read this book because everything just feels so polarized right now。 Everyone wants to be a part of something and feel a sense of belonging within their communities。 There was a line in the book， Elie Wiesel believed the opposite of love to be not hate but indifference。 He called indifference the "epitome of evil。" Those two lines really stood out to me。 Stereotypes and biases keep us from including and understanding other people。 After reading this book， I learned a lot。 I also learned， that I am unfortunately a part of the problem when it comes to some things as well。 I get extremely defensive when it comes to things I feel strongly about。 Almost all of us do。 Unfortunately， that keeps me from learning， understanding， and communicating with others that do not necessarily see things the way I do。 Communication is key， it is how we learn and how we educate others。 I hope after reading this book I am more willing to listen to other people and have good discussion and debate。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Sara Goldenberg
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I liked it。 He writes well。
Drew
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It’s a well thought out book with a good balance of practical and research presented in an accessible way
Haley Hernandez
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I got this book for free through a GoodReads giveaway （Thank you！）。 I haven’t read many Psychology books or Non-fiction books for that matter， but I can definitely say that this was a mind-opener to read。 I appreciate every message that was given throughout this book。 Honestly， it makes me want to learn more about Social Psychology。 In the past， I’ve read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell。 The way this book was written seems very similar to me with the use of anecdotes and studies， but much more refined I got this book for free through a GoodReads giveaway （Thank you！）。 I haven’t read many Psychology books or Non-fiction books for that matter， but I can definitely say that this was a mind-opener to read。 I appreciate every message that was given throughout this book。 Honestly， it makes me want to learn more about Social Psychology。 In the past， I’ve read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell。 The way this book was written seems very similar to me with the use of anecdotes and studies， but much more refined。 It’s nice to see all of Cohen’s work really come together in this one book。 I’m glad that I got this book for free because I don’t think I would’ve known about it any other way。 。。。more
Maher Razouk
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أزمة انتماء。。أصبح إيجاد طرق لتعزيز الانتماء مهمة اجتماعية ملحة。 الشعور بأنك مختلف ، غريب في أرض غريبة ، وحتى غريب في أرضك ، يبدو شائعًا الآن لدرجة أن المرشح الرئاسي （بيت بوتيجيج） أعلن عن وجود "أزمة انتماء"。يعاني حوالي واحد من كل خمسة أمريكيين من الشعور بالوحدة المزمنة ، حيث أظهر استطلاع عام 2020 أن الشباب هم أكثر من يعاني。 يقول الباحث في علم الجينوم ستيف كول من كلية الطب بجامعة كاليفورنيا في لوس أنجلوس ، إن الوحدة هي "أحد أكثر عوامل الخطر البيئية السمية التي ندركها فيما يتعلق بالوفيات الناجمة عن أزمة انتماء。。أصبح إيجاد طرق لتعزيز الانتماء مهمة اجتماعية ملحة。 الشعور بأنك مختلف ، غريب في أرض غريبة ، وحتى غريب في أرضك ، يبدو شائعًا الآن لدرجة أن المرشح الرئاسي （بيت بوتيجيج） أعلن عن وجود "أزمة انتماء"。يعاني حوالي واحد من كل خمسة أمريكيين من الشعور بالوحدة المزمنة ، حيث أظهر استطلاع عام 2020 أن الشباب هم أكثر من يعاني。 يقول الباحث في علم الجينوم ستيف كول من كلية الطب بجامعة كاليفورنيا في لوس أنجلوس ، إن الوحدة هي "أحد أكثر عوامل الخطر البيئية السمية التي ندركها فيما يتعلق بالوفيات الناجمة عن جميع الأسباب" ، مُعرِّفًا إياها بأنها "مدى شعور الناس بالانفصال عن بقية الإنسانية。" يفهم معظمنا مخاطر التعرض للإشعاع ودخان السجائر والسموم الجسدية الأخرى ، لكننا نجد صعوبة في تقدير قوة السموم الاجتماعية والنفسية。 الوحدة المزمنة مدمرة لأجسامنا وصحتنا مثل تدخين علبة سجائر في اليوم。نظرًا لأن الأمريكيين أصبحوا منفصلين عن مجتمعهم ، فقد عانوا مما يسميه （أنجوس ديتون） و（آن كيس） "أمراض اليأس"。 اكتشف الباحثون أنه في عام 2017 ، توفي 158000 أمريكي إما من خلال عملية بطيئة من الإدمان على الكحول أو المسكنات أو غيرها من المخدرات أو من خلال الانتحار بالرصاص أو جرعة زائدة。 هذا يعادل "ثلاث طائرات 737 ماكس كاملة تسقط من السماء كل يوم ، مع عدم وجود ناجين" ، كما كتبوا。 ارتفع عدد هذه الوفيات خلال العقدين الماضيين ، ويجادل ديتون وكيس بأن الزيادة ترجع إلى حد كبير إلى الألم الاجتماعي الناتج عن الشعور بالانفصال。يشعر اللاجئون أيضًا بالألم الاجتماعي في جميع أنحاء العالم ، الذين تضخمت أعدادهم كثيرًا منذ عام 2015 بحيث أصبحوا يشكلون الآن 1٪ من سكان العالم。 عندما علم الروائي الصومالي （نور الدين فرح） بأنه منفي ولم يعد بإمكانه العودة إلى المكان الذي نشأ فيه ، بدا الأمر كما لو أن إحساسه بالذات قد تحطم。 كتب : "في تلك اللحظة ، شعرت على الفور بالنزوح وعدم الثقة ، كما لو أنني مرآة وتحطمت。 في النهاية ، كنت أسأل نفسي إذا كنت قد أصبحت شخصًا آخر بسبب ما حدث "。。Geoffrey L。 CohenBelongingTranslated By #Maher_Razouk 。。。more
Danielle Shroyer
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Maybe closer to 3。5？ The repetition of studies and outcomes in the middle got a little tedious but， as usual with many nonfiction books， the beginning and end were strong。
Dave Nussbaum
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This book takes the reader to the heart of social psychology and the importance of the feeling that we belong that's so easy to take for granted until it's threatened or absent。 The book offers insights into the things we can all do to make those around us feel like they belong， and just for that reason is well worth reading。 This book takes the reader to the heart of social psychology and the importance of the feeling that we belong that's so easy to take for granted until it's threatened or absent。 The book offers insights into the things we can all do to make those around us feel like they belong， and just for that reason is well worth reading。 。。。more
Alişkeri
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https://www。lipyum。com https://www。lipyum。com 。。。more
Lynda Coker
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I wanted to read this book because I see the huge need that so many people have， especially youths， to fit in， be accepted， or belong to a collective or group。 In the divisive world we live in， this is not as easy as it seems。 And even when it is， there is often a negative side that comes with belonging and that is exclusivity。 The perspective that you’re one of us or not of us。 Geoffrey L Cohen is a Stanford psychology professor so I tended to give his words some serious thought and found that I wanted to read this book because I see the huge need that so many people have， especially youths， to fit in， be accepted， or belong to a collective or group。 In the divisive world we live in， this is not as easy as it seems。 And even when it is， there is often a negative side that comes with belonging and that is exclusivity。 The perspective that you’re one of us or not of us。 Geoffrey L Cohen is a Stanford psychology professor so I tended to give his words some serious thought and found that I agreed with many of them。I especially enjoyed section three of this book - Fostering Belonging in All Walks of Life because it offered a practical application for implementing situational arenas that touched on all ages with school and work。 It even discussed policing our communities and the political policies that are one of the most powerful elements of division in our society。 This is a big book and one that isn’t conducive to skimming。 So make the time to read it thoroughly。 I think you’ll be glad you did。 This was a Goodreads giveaway。 My review is my own and reflects my personal thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
Janice Fitzgerald
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I love it
Barbara Jean
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Great read。 Highly recommended。
Kelly Taylor
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An utterly necessary book for the times we live in。 The author describes how vital a sense of belonging is to our physical and mental well-being。 He goes on to summarize the scarce research on the subject， and then provide some science-backed tips for crafting situations that foster belong in the home， school， workplace， and community。 This book makes you feel just a little bit more human， and a little bit more responsibility toward your fellow humans。
RyReads
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An insightful book on belonging that has real power to be life-changing。 Highly recommend picking this one up！
Sharon
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I liked it; it was a modern "do unto others" but with descriptions of how。this was a goodreads giveaway I liked it; it was a modern "do unto others" but with descriptions of how。this was a goodreads giveaway 。。。more
M。
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It was a good read。
Ell
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I found this book interesting and informative。 In a world where it seems divisiveness is strong， despite all the speak on inclusiveness， this is an apropos topic。 Amongst certain groups there seems to be a very strong inclination toward “you are either like us or you are a part of a maligned out-group。” As a person who pretty much accepts people and their differences， I must admit， I am confounded by the forces that propel individuals to have in- and out-group mentalities in which the out-group I found this book interesting and informative。 In a world where it seems divisiveness is strong， despite all the speak on inclusiveness， this is an apropos topic。 Amongst certain groups there seems to be a very strong inclination toward “you are either like us or you are a part of a maligned out-group。” As a person who pretty much accepts people and their differences， I must admit， I am confounded by the forces that propel individuals to have in- and out-group mentalities in which the out-group is perceived as a threat or an entity to be avoided at all costs。 Belonging is written by a Stanford social psychology professor who has studied alienation and its wide-ranging effects which include social pain， decreased well-being， and decreased potential。 Cohen has also researched how to bridge divides， overcome automatic bias， and widen our circles of belonging。 As the author points out， even slight adjustments in our thoughts and behaviors toward others may foster increased individual and collective well-being， alleviate social tension， and create occasions to connect and grow。 This book is not a socio-political call to action， but rather a gentle reminder that we all have the potential to positively impact our own circles by fostering a spirit of inclusiveness in our every-day attitudes and actions。This book is insightful， informative， and relevant。 I wish books like these were required reading in high school and/or college。 。。。more
Lydia Wallace
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