No Al Totalitarismo!

Encouraging the development of an autonomous and critical personality from an early age is the antidote to the snatching away of single-mindedness and social pressures in adulthood. Boris Cyrulnik questions the gregarious notions of nationalism, group fanaticism and hatred that he himself experienced in the form of anti-Semitism during his childhood, and are now being repeated as a consequence of dominant discourses, authoritarian policies or war conflicts. In No to Totalitarianism, the famous French neuropsychiatrist recounts his own biographical experience and draws on the lives of Josef Mengele, Adolf Eichmann and Stefan Zweig, among others, to explore the dangerous consequences of the mechanisms of conformism and submission to prevailing ideologies that continue to exist in today's societies. History repeats itself, yet why is it that some people find it easier to resist (and even rebel against) dominant discourses while others prefer to retreat into comfortable servitude? The answer lies in the first 1000 days of a baby's life, as ensuring a secure attachment during the infant stage will help develop the self-confidence and self-esteem necessary to train a more critical view of reality and achieve true inner freedom.