The Inner Self
The joy of discovering who we really are
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'How can I get in touch with this real self, underlying all my surface behaviour? How can I become myself?' Carl Rogers, US psychotherapist
The Inner Self is a book about the ways we hide from the truth about ourselves and the psychological freedom we enjoy when we finally face that most searching question of all: 'Who am I, really?'
Hugh Mackay explores our 'top 20' hiding places - from addiction to materialism, nostalgia to victimhood. He explains how it is our fear of love's demands that drive us into hiding.
He argues that love is our highest ideal, the richest source of life's meaning and purpose, and the key to our emotional security, personal serenity and confidence.
Yet Mackay exposes the great paradox of human nature, that while love brings out our best, we don't always want our best brought forward.
Powerfully written and drawing on a lifetime of research, The Inner Self is a work of extraordinary insight by one of Australia's most respected psychologists.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Social researcher Hugh Mackay makes an urgent case for self-examination in The Inner Self. He explores the “top 20 hiding places” we use to avoid that uncomfortable engagement with our true selves, whether it’s something as devastating as gambling addiction or as comforting as nostalgia. Mackay argues that common preoccupations like technology and perfectionism distract us from “the state of our soul” and that we’re becoming poorer for our lack of internal reflection. Grounded by poignant anecdotes from real people, this book is a powerful reminder to engage with our deeper selves—and from there, the people around us as well.