THE NEVER-ENDING MOMENT

When confronted with change, we often feel vulnerable and insecure as we’re forced to leave the familiar behind us without knowing what will take its place. But these kinds of transitions also create personal spaces in which something new can develop. In humans, people going through puberty are often seen as difficult to deal with yet also as very creative. From a societal perspective, periods of upheaval like the Renaissance nourish the development of revolutionary ideas.

In this thoughtful and thought-provoking work, philosopher Natalie Knapp urges us not to simply put periods of transition behind us as quickly as possible, but rather to appreciate their value. It is these phases in our lives, she argues, in which we sense life itself with a particular intensity. They activate our creative potential and lead us towards discoveries and experiences that in turn provide a sense of direction in calmer, more settled times. How people deal with experiences of change, she argues, has a dramatic influence on quality of life. Natalie Knapp shows how new possibilities are born out of biological, personal and historical crises, and how philosophy can help us to become sensitive to them.