Unpacks the human qualities we all have that can help us build a better society

Offers a much-needed way for people to connect to each other amidst current political polarization

Explores collective psychology through ancient philosophy, modern research and popular culture

1. Introduction: Narrative Building Machines.- Mythmaking and Popular Culture.- Private Hallucinations.- A Conjuror's Story.- A Serendipitous Discovery.- Collective States of Mind.- The Analytical Approach of This Book.- The Structure of This Book.- Stories for a Better Future.- Bibliography.- 2. The Archetypal Magician.- Transformational Spaces.- The Stage Magician.- The Enlightened Magician.- The Shadow Magician.- Trust and Authenticity.- Stories, Memories and Experiences.- Our Chattering Selves.- Scepticism of Our Stories.- Bibliography.- 3. Street Philosophy and the Stoics.- Philosophy for Flourishing.- The Dichotomy of Control.- Purpose, Responsibility and Society.- Actions over Outcomes.- Learning and Growing.- Life Skills and Lessons.- Fate and Fortune.- Stillness, Egos and Obstacles.- Habitual Humans.- Perceptions and Stories.- Inner and Outer Worlds.- Emotions and Reactions.- Domesticate Your Emotions.- Taking Back Control.- The Unlived Lives of Our Parents.- Freedom to Flourish.- That Fraudster Feeling.- Hindsight and Reflection.- Bibliography.- 4. Self-Help and Popular Culture.- An Antidote to the Self-Help Industry.- Strategic Pessimism.- The Verb of Happiness.- Our Protestant Past.- The Law of Attraction.- Blame and Failure.- Kicking and Screaming.- Self-Help and Celebrity.- The Conor McGregor Story.- Narrative, Ego and Persona.- The Outer World of Fame and Fortune.- Paradoxical Mindsets.- Trials and Tribulations.- Bibliography.- 5. Angels and Demons.- We Want Heroes, Not Gods.- Welcome to the Dark Side.- Social Compliance.- Handing over Authorship.- Conforming in Cahoots.- Can We Push Back?.- Hero Mentality.- Hero's Journey.- If the World Ended Tomorrow.- Negative Visualisation.- Taking Responsibility.- Compassion, Empathy and Leadership.- Gratitude and Selflessness.- More Than Just a Dream.- Steven's Homecoming.- The Wizard of Oz.- Transcendence and Individuation.- Jung, Socrates and the Stoics.- Compassion, Love and Empathy.- Bibliography.- 6. Beyond Them-And-Us.- The Rise of Tribalism.- In These Divided Times.- The Politics of Fear.- Place and Belonging.- The Overview Effect.- Connection and Empathy.- Expanding Phil's Oikei¿sis.- A Hero's Calling.- Dialogue Between Sides.- Fate and Perspective.- Beyond Madness and Badness.- The Human Problem.- Ethical Cosmopolitanism.- The Quest for Complexity.- Bibliography.- 7. Reflections and Transformations.- Collective Reflections.- Getting to Know Our Shadows.- Introspection and Transformation.- One Team, Many Stories.- The Changing World of Work.- A Secular Void?.- Filling the Secular Void.- Transformative Philosophy.- Communal Connections.- Transformative Mythologies.- Towards a Modern Monomyth.- The Collective Journey.- Stories to Save the World.- Collective Weaving Machines.- Bibliography.