Grief

An engaging and illuminating exploration of grief—and why, despite its intense pain, it can also help us grow Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us—as universal as it is painful—is central to the human condition. Surprisingly, however, philosophers have rarely examined grief in any depth. In Grief , Michael Cholbi presents a groundbreaking philosophical exploration of this complex emotional event, offering valuable new insights about what grief is, whom we grieve, and how grief can ultimately lead us to a richer self-understanding and a fuller realization of our humanity. Drawing on psychology, social science, and literature as well as philosophy, Cholbi explains that we grieve for the loss of those in whom our identities are invested, including people we don't know personally but cherish anyway, such as public figures. Their deaths not only deprive us of worthwhile experiences; they also disrupt our commitments and values. Yet grief is something we should embrace rather than avoid, an important part of a good and meaningful life. The key to understanding this paradox, Cholbi says, is that grief offers us a unique and powerful opportunity to grow in self-knowledge by fashioning a new identity. Although grief can be tumultuous and disorienting, it also reflects our distinctly human capacity to rationally adapt as the relationships we depend on evolve. An original account of how grieving works and why it is so important, Grief shows how the pain of this experience gives us a chance to deepen our relationships with others and ourselves.

An engaging and illuminating exploration of grief—and why, despite its intense pain, it can also help us grow Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us—as universal as it is painful—is central to the human condition. Surprisingly, however, philosophers have rarely examined grief in any depth. In Grief , Michael Cholbi presents a groundbreaking philosophical exploration of this complex emotional event, offering valuable new insights about what grief is, whom we grieve, and how grief can ultimately lead us to a richer self-understanding and a fuller realization of our humanity. Drawing on psychology, social science, and literature as well as philosophy, Cholbi explains that we grieve for the loss of those in whom our identities are invested, including people we don't know personally but cherish anyway, such as public figures. Their deaths not only deprive us of worthwhile experiences; they also disrupt our commitments and values. Yet grief is something we should embrace rather than avoid, an important part of a good and meaningful life. The key to understanding this paradox, Cholbi says, is that grief offers us a unique and powerful opportunity to grow in self-knowledge by fashioning a new identity. Although grief can be tumultuous and disorienting, it also reflects our distinctly human capacity to rationally adapt as the relationships we depend on evolve. An original account of how grieving works and why it is so important, Grief shows how the pain of this experience gives us a chance to deepen our relationships with others and ourselves.

Losing someone you love feels like you are adrift at sea - lost and alone. You are overcome by sorrow and heartache and unsure of how to continue life without them. Gary Sturgis writes with deep insight about the journey of love and loss and how to chart a course to healing. Through his work facilitating support groups and conducting workshops, he shares what he has learned on a personal level in an honest and heart-felt way. He offers advice and encouragement to those of us grieving the loss of a loved one. Gary takes us through the physical and emotional effects of grief, helping us to navigate its difficult aspects while teaching us to recover during the process. He offers a comforting hand to help us steer through the rough waters he has experienced since his loss. By sharing his own reflections and those of people he has encountered along the way, he puts the issues of life and death in perspective and ultimately gives us courage to move forward. Although we may never totally accept our loss or recover from our grief, Gary helps us find hope in the aftermath.

Losing someone you love feels like you are adrift at sea - lost and alone. You are overcome by sorrow and heartache and unsure of how to continue life without them. Gary Sturgis writes with deep insight about the journey of love and loss and how to chart a course to healing. Through his work facilitating support groups and conducting workshops, he shares what he has learned on a personal level in an honest and heart-felt way. He offers advice and encouragement to those of us grieving the loss of a loved one. Gary takes us through the physical and emotional effects of grief, helping us to navigate its difficult aspects while teaching us to recover during the process. He offers a comforting hand to help us steer through the rough waters he has experienced since his loss. By sharing his own reflections and those of people he has encountered along the way, he puts the issues of life and death in perspective and ultimately gives us courage to move forward. Although we may never totally accept our loss or recover from our grief, Gary helps us find hope in the aftermath.