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The Compassionate Mind
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins
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The Compassionate Mind
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Summary
Throughout history people have sought to cope with a life that is often stressful and hard. We have actually known for some time that developing compassion for oneself and others can help us face up to and win through the hardship and find a sense of inner peace. However in modern societies we rarely focus on this key process that underpins successful coping and happiness and can be quick to dismiss the impact of modern living on our minds and well-being. Instead we concentrate on 'doing, achieving' and having'. Now, bestselling author and leading authority on depression, Professor Paul Gilbert explains how new research shows how we can all learn to develop compassion for ourselves and others and derive the benefits of this age-old wisdom.
In this ground-breaking new book he explores how our minds have developed to be highly sensitive and quick to react to perceived threats and how this fast-acting threat-response system can be a source of anxiety, depression and aggression. He describes how studies have also shown that developing kindness and compassion for self and others can help in calming down the threat system: as a mother's care and love can soothe a baby's distress, so we can learn how to soothe ourselves. Not only does compassion help to soothe distressing emotions, it actually increases feelings of contentment and well-being. Here, Professor Gilbert outlines the latest findings about the value of compassion and how it works, and takes readers through basic mind training exercises to enhance the capacity for, and use of, compassion.
New audio available from 01 August 2018.
Critic reviews
"As somebody who suffers from severe depression, I know the depressive's harshest critic is themselves. It is never helpful to be told to pull ourselves together by others but saying it to ourselves leads us in only one direction - into a spiralling descent into despair. This wise and perceptive book teaches us self-compassion and the consolations of kindness. I recommend it all the time." (Sally Brampton, author of Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression and the Aunt Sally column in The Sunday Times)
"The increasing drive to find a competitive edge in all aspects of our lives may create efficiencies but they are cold, heartless and unpleasant to live with. Gilbert shows how and why this occurs, and explains why our capacity for compassion is the antidote." (Oliver James, author of Affluenza and the Selfish Capitalist)
"A timely book for a time when competitiveness, materialism and narcissism have failed us. This book provides timeless wisdom that you can use every day. It will make a wonderful gift for someone you care for - especially, if you give it to yourself." (Robert L Leahy, author of The Worry Cure and President Of The International Association For Cognitive Psychotherapy)
"Fascinating...thoughtful and well written...this book is a resource to be owned and used with enjoyment." (Nursing Standard)
"A challenging and useful addition to anyone's self-help shelf, as well as a refreshingly rigorous look behind why our brains work the way they do. In fact, this is a self-help book for people who don't like self-help books." (ONEinFOUR magazine)
"Important and enjoyable." (The Psychologist)
"A landmark book" (The Scientific and Medical Network)
"Interesting and helpful." (Mental Health Practice)
What listeners say about The Compassionate Mind
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sharon Hadley
- 17-12-21
Everyone needs to read this
A fantastic book that illustrates how having a compassionate mind is key for one’s own well-being and that of others.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Max M
- 28-08-22
Really helpful, but aggravating narration
This book was too long to read so I got the audio version. Very helpful but unnecessarily wordy and what I found to be deeply aggravating narration; patronising and breathy, like a half-rate pompous Attenborough. Some words were spoken very quietly (for no reason other than the narrator loves the sound of his own voice) and others loudly, which is annoying for an audiobook because sometimes you can’t hear it so you turn it up but then you get randomly deafened. There are constant sharp intakes of breath, dramatic pauses, and weirdly over-enunciated words such as ‘sexual’ which made my skin crawl. If you don’t like the sound of people eating I don’t think you could put up with this. It is particularly strange because this narrator sounds normal in other books, so the style must be deliberate. In a non-fiction book I want to focus on the content not the dramatic performance.
The author comes across as quite out of touch, thinking he is very clever and the reader is much less intelligent than him. He also makes ‘hilarious’ and repetitive references to liking cricket and wanting to become a rock star - I don’t care.
I persevered because the content was very useful (although a lot was repeated from ‘Overcoming Depression’) and I would definitely recommend it to anyone struggling with feeling compassion for themselves despite its flaws.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara Z.
- 22-03-23
Deserves more than five stars!
Thank you Paul Gilbert for this book. It was recommended to me by my psychology therapist. With the help from her and this book I managed to overcome my childhood trauma and for the first time in my whole life be myself in some trigger situations in which I had never had control of my emotions before. The exercises in the book really work. The theory opens eyes and makes you look at everything in totally different way. This is one of the most important books I have ever read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Luke Stableford
- 09-03-15
very interesting and well written
Very thorough and well written book. Long though! the excellent narrator made it much more digestible, and in fact was much easier to take in than the print version.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simo Lamine
- 09-03-23
Excellent book about the mind and compassion
Paul Gilbert tried in this book to explain how our mind evolved and how emotions work, the book also contains practical exercises, if incorporated daily (even 1min a day) would help create a balanced and compassionate mind. My favourite compassionate idea repeated through out the book is: « it was not our choice in the first place to be here, with this mind, we just happened to be here and given this mind »
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in understanding/improving your way of live in an increasingly complex and speedy society.
Thank you Paul
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Hanton
- 02-05-19
reassuring
loved it. lends weight to meditation and mindfulness claims with case studies and science. brings to life the basics on understanding and self improvement
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-12-16
Thought provoking and influential!
This book explains well the evidence base underpinning this approach. For people who like that sort of this, it is comprehensive. The author touches on many themes of emotional and psychological difficulty faced by people so I think most people would find an aspect of the book relevant to their situation. For me, this book has helped me to be more aware of myself, my emotions, and step back from them. Rather than get annoyed or frustrated with others for "making" me feel certain ways, I'm being much more understanding of my feelings and where they are coming from in me, knowing my own vulnerabilities. This is making relationships a lot easier for me and particularly important when working in a system that is very pressured at the moment! I am finding ways to use this approach with clients I work with too. I know I will keep dipping into certain chapters and exercises to consolidate my learning. I bought the paper copy to help me with this. I'm interested in what the author makes of Trumps successful candidacy, is it a reversal to more archetypal thinking? The narrator was engaging too. I found the audible version helpful in covering a lot of material in a relatively shorter time than it would have taken reading the book eg I could play it while driving around. Thank you.
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31 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- uccellina
- 31-10-17
Better as a physical book
This is basically a loooooong, dense textbook. Just too tedious to listen to as an audiobook.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Stephen J. Merrett
- 11-08-18
A way to be a better person
It is a big book well written and worth taking the time to read or in my case listen to. It motivates thought and contemplation on why we do the things we do, why we treat others the way we do, how we treat ourselves. Those that read it will probably be like me, already moving along a path and hoping to be a better person, this book has led me to a place where I want to go even further.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Sarah Donnelly
- 29-11-21
amazing book!
This book is one that everyone should read. Compassion is the foundation to all healthy relationships.
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