#504. How To Stop Living An Artificial Life | Karen Armstrong

Most of us come into the world with the suspicion that we are the center of the universe. This self-preoccupation is natural, but it can often lead to unhappiness in the form of rumination, wallowing, comparison, etc. 

Our guest today, author Karen Armstrong, has a clear proposal for how we can stop living what she calls “artificial” lives and shave down our inborn self-centeredness. Not for nothing, she believes her proposal has the added benefit of perhaps helping to save the planet. 

Armstrong is a former nun who has become one of the world’s leading thinkers on religion (particularly the monotheistic ones). She has written such bestsellers as: A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, The Battle for God, Islam: A Short History, and Buddha. Her latest book is called Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.

In this episode we talk about: 

• Practices you can try for using nature as a way to make yourself happier
• How Armstrong conceives of God at this point in her life
• The benefits of the Confucian practice of “quiet sitting”
• How her time as a nun paradoxically made her more self-preoccupied rather than less
• And her definition of holiness

Photo Credit: Michael Lionstar

Books Mentioned:

• Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.
• A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
• The Battle for God
• Islam: A Short History
• Buddha

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Rabbi Lionel Blue
• Gerard Manley Hopkins

Additional Resources:

Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install