Same Same But Different

Most of us think we hold the only true beliefs about religion, politics, complex social issues, and the best way to live a happy and fulfilling life. And for good reason. It’s taken a lifetime of experiences, education, and mistakes to reach the overwhelming and emotionally convincing “feeling of knowing” that we have today. If only it were that simple.

In Same Same, but Different: A Life Beyond Certainty, physician Robert Pokorski shares his unique and refreshing perspective on beliefs, happiness, and the elements of a meaningful life. Using an eclectic mix of stories culled from his rich life experiences, including decades of international travel, he both entertains and challenges readers. Pokorski explains that our beliefs are far from the certainty we imagine, that we’d be better off if we set down our burdens, even if a steep price was already paid, and in an acknowledgment of the Buddhist philosophy of the “Middle Way” that so strongly influenced his life, he passionately advocates a worldview where everyone’s beliefs are nearer to the center than the extremes.

Robert Pokorski’s inspirational message of tolerance and hope is a welcome change from the narrow-minded ideology and extremism that plague today’s social discourse and international relations. Same Same, but Different concludes with six strategies for becoming a better believer that are deeply satisfying at an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual level. Chief among his recommendations is that we think long and hard about how we’d see the world if we could step away from our age, gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, and political views. As our mind begins to think differently – more broadly, more inclusively, and more humbly – we start on the path to wisdom, happiness, and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of people worldwide who share the same desire for purpose and meaning in their lives, but who often start from much different places.

Robert Pokorski, MD, grew up in Nebraska in a working-class neighborhood of Polish immigrants. He was a self-driven scholarship student who finished college and started medical school at age twenty. In his later career as a business executive and educator, he traveled extensively in Europe, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Asia, where he lived for three years in Seoul, South Korea. During this time, he encountered people of every imaginable culture, religion, political persuasion, and belief system. These experiences provided the subject matter and inspiration for this book.