Our socio-political leaders can afford to dismiss empathy only at their own peril. In Chasing We-ness, William Marsiglio brilliantly makes the case for combating racism, sexism, and xenophobia by exhorting all to celebrate what unites, rather than divides us.
—HELEN RIESS, M.D., Harvard Psychiatrist, Author, The Empathy Effect, Founder and CEO, Empathetics, Inc.
At a time of increasing polarization, violence, and threats to our democracy from within, Bill Marsiglio provides a roadmap to a better future in this timely book. Read it, absorb its lessons, and find a way to foster a greater sense of “we” in your own neighborhoods and communities.
—JOHN M. BRIDGELAND, CEO, Civic, former Director, White House Domestic Policy
In this timely book, William Marsiglio reminds us of the vital importance of belonging to a community and of the centrality of empathy that results. Whatever one’s politics or persuasion, finding a tiny public that satisfies fundamental human needs of togetherness is crucial. Drawing on an impressively wide-range of interdisciplinary sources, Marsiglio recognizes that society depends upon our commitments. Readers will learn much from his rich insights.
—GARY ALAN FINE, Northwestern University, author of The Hinge: Civil Society, Group Cultures, and the Power of Local Commitments
In engaging prose, William Marsiglio reveals the diversity of we-ness as he provides us hope and practical guidance to complete our life’s mission to bond productively with others while strengthening our communities.
—ERICK L. BAKER, Youth Counselor and Community Activist
William Marsiglio thinks big in Chasing We-ness, an elegant and passionately written book that asks what you and I can do to reduce the surging social turmoil of the modern world.
—MARK W. MOFFETT, author of The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall.
Chasing We-ness takes on an impossible task: to lay out a plan for unifying an America that has fragmented in the dramatic way since 2016. William Marsiglio comprehensively reminds us of the features that create a sense of a caring community with detailed examples that make his points brilliantly clear. I know of no one who has brought all this data together with a blueprint for change so well!
—JACQUELINE OLDS, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-author of The Lonely American: Drifting Apart in the Twenty-first Century
We have both too much we-ness and not enough. Chasing We-ness offers a brilliant diagnosis of today’s polarizations. But even more importantly, it suggests productive ways forward. The strategies offered hint at ways to afford we-ness that embrace difference rather than reject it. These are precisely the interventions needed as we experiment with ways to keep our social networks, and social and civic institutions, from spinning further apart.
—MICHAEL S. CAROLAN, Professor of Sociology, Colorado State University and author of A Decent Meal: Building Empathy in a Divided America
In Chasing We-ness, William Marsiglio presents a fascinating and hopeful study of how being able to listen compassionately and empathize effectively is at the heart of healthy and radical transformation.
—CHRISTIAN PICCOLINI, author of Breaking Hate and White American Youth
In Chasing We-ness, William Marsiglio deftly explains that in our pursuit of purpose and meaning in business and life, individuals must be increasingly empathetic, mindful, interconnected, and inclusive in the ways we think, learn, lead, and live if we are to find significance in a world of difference.
—GLENN LLOPIS, CEO of GLLG and author of the book, Unleashing Individuality – The Leadership Skill that Unlocks all Others.
Chasing We-Ness is a comprehensive survey of togetherness: where it comes from, when it goes wrong, and how people cultivate it. William Marsiglio provides an essential guide for anyone who is frustrated by ever lonelier, more individualistic societies and is interested in building stronger, more satisfying communities.
—TAYLOR C. DOTSON, Associate Professor of Social Science, New Mexico Tech and author of The Divide: How Fanatical Certitude is Destroying Democracy