Whether in debates about the climate crisis, identity politics, or world events: politics is nothing more than a negotiation process involving different emotions. In her book on political debate, neuroscientist and bestselling author Maren Urner calls for a rethinking of our rational understanding of politics: in the face of escalating crises, we must finally stop separating reason and emotion. Only by considering both together and acting accordingly can we shape policy constructively. When it comes to socio-political debates, we've always told ourselves the same story: we can't and shouldn't rely on our emotions. Feelings are supposedly a private matter that must be strictly separated from the professional and political sphere. However, psychological, anthropological, and neuroscientific studies radically contradict this view: everything that happens in the political arena is shaped by emotions. Even if we desire objective discussions, reality shows that the louder the demand for rationality, the more irrational and emotionally charged the debate becomes. We are always and everywhere influenced by our emotions—feelings shape politics. How do we get out of this dilemma? It all starts with a fundamental insight: Even private decisions are always political – and because we are directly affected, we react emotionally. What we eat, how we get around, where we live, and how we define success – all of this always has a political dimension. Only when we acknowledge that we are all, always and everywhere, both emotional and rational at the same time can we deal with this productively. This approach must be radical – that is, it must tackle things at their root. Because meaningful social debates – whether at the breakfast table, in the political arena, or in the plenary hall – should be solution-oriented. This political non-fiction book not only offers a clever analysis – Maren Urner also provides us with simple tools and methods: Only when we are radically attentive can we perceive our own feelings and better understand our decisions. Only if we communicate with each other in a radically honest way can we achieve the socially necessary changes for a world worth living in. Only when we overcome the false divisions between feeling and reason, between private and professional, between environment and humanity, can we feel radically connected. This is fundamental for future-oriented thinking and action. New product