Patrick’s Reviews > The Gift of Violence: Practical Knowledge for Surviving and Thriving in a Dangerous World > Status Update

Interesting choice!

Christina wrote: "Interesting choice!"

Interesting book. I'm probably the wrong audience for it, because I already agree with it all. Any martial artist will have had these very thoughts for many years, understand and recognise the arguments about needing to overcome the fear of violence in order to develop the tools to deal with it, since it is an undeniable fact of reality, whether we are pacifists or not.

Overcoming the irrational fear of it, also opens up the benefits (gifts) that come with being able to handle discomfort and pain, both physical and mental.
The gifts he talks about are confidence, assertiveness, eliminating anxiety completely, gaining more agency in your life, also a better understanding of conflict in general, on the scale of individuals and even society.

Anyway, great learnings from someone who turned from a weak, scared little kid, into a strong and pretty wise mentor for thousands.