Conventional wisdom has long held that humans are by nature materialistic and self-interested. But scholar and writer Jeremy Rifkin argues in his new book that science is forcing us to rethink this notion, and that the growth of human empathy could help solve the problems that confront the world. MPR News interviews Jeremy Rifkin, author of “The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis.” He is president of the Foundation on Economic Trends.
The 21st-century Enlightenment?
June 14th, 2010 by Mark Schultz 1 comment »I enjoyed this post about an emerging worldview from Madeleine Bunting at the Guardian UK:
Taylor’s faith in empathy is widely shared, for example by those campaigning on aid for the developing world. An example often cited of growing empathy is the greater tolerance on race and sexual orientation showing dramatic progress in the course of just one generation. But, as Taylor concedes, over the same time period we have created a media culture of savage contempt for a range of public figures, from celebrities to politicians. Does the stock of empathy increase or simply get redistributed from time to time? More disturbingly, is empathy always benign? As John Gray pointed out in his Guardian review of Rifkin, it can lead to cruelty just as much as compassion. Empathy is not an easy recruit to this march of progress: the plight of others can prompt withdrawal, denial or willed ignorance instead of the impetus for global co-operation.
Empathizing with a Value System
June 10th, 2010 by Mark Schultz 1 comment »I found this post from Marc Stoiber, blogging at the Huffington Post interesting not so much because he mentioned empathy, but rather the means he suggests using a system of understanding human values called spiral dynamics, first uncovered by Clare Graves, former Professor of Psychology at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Stoiber writes:
These differing worldviews are usually a factor of:
1. Different values lenses – different shades of values people have, which give them different perspectives on a story.
2. Different filtering styles – individual means of screening information based on triggers and internal sorting mechanisms.
3. Degrees of social optimism – Ways of interpreting realities based on the optimism or pessimism of the viewer.Renowned social psychologist Clare Graves was an innovator in this field, breaking down audience worldviews according to eight levels of evolving human behavior systems.
1. Autistic thinking. Traced back to 40,000 BC, this type of thinking was characterized by living in the moment, and feeling helpless before the terror of nature. A strong desire to live in tribal units for security helped mankind evolve beyond this behavior.
2. Tribal thinking. Post 40,000 BC. Civilization was tribal, and suffocated by tribal rules. The chief factor contributing to the demise of this behavior system was the desire to break free and set out on journeys of self-determination.
3. Heroic thinking. 8000 BC. A behavior system favored by early conquerors like Atilla, Genghis – but very much alive today in dictators and gang lords. This form of thinking favors taking what one wants, creating empire, and domination. Clearly not a form of thinking for the meek, it was largely supplanted by the search for deeper meaning and a true, spiritual leader.
4. Absolutistic thinking. 4000 BC. A backlash against heroic thinking, absolutism favored the clarity and discipline of rigid morality. Honor, self-sacrifice, a fear of contradiction and a strict code of behavior characterize this behavior system. Today, absolutism is personified in conservative thinkers….
I’ve found spiral dynamics a great inroad to empathizing especially with people whose value systems appear to differ from my own. One note of caution: I’ve noticed the temptation to pigeonhole people into these categories when in fact these memes are tendencies we possess rather than hard categories we act upon.
Is The “Me Generation” Less Empathetic?
June 7th, 2010 by Mark Schultz No comments »Here’s another take on the research currently making the rounds suggesting today’s college students are far less empathic than previous generations. From Ray Williams, blogging at Psychology Today:
Twenge says this doesn’t mean GenMe is spoiled. That would imply they always got what they wanted. Young people today have to overcome many challenges their parents didn’t have to. For example, while families of the Baby Boom generation could once achieve a middle-class status on the earnings of one high school educated person, it now takes two college-educated earners to achieve the same standard of living. Many Gen Yers feel that the world demands perfection in everything, and some are cracking under the pressure. Many of them in their twenties today find that their jobs do not provide the fulfillment and excitement they had anticipated, and their salaries are not enough to have the lifestyle they wanted.
Does that mean that GenMe is selfish? Twenge says no. She cites the fact that youth volunteerism has actually risen in the last decade. GenMe wants to make a difference in the world. GenMe also believes that people should follow their dreams and not be held back by societal expectations. This theme is often reflected in the movies and videos of today.
The Empathic Civilization: Animated!
June 4th, 2010 by Mark Schultz 1 comment »Bestselling author, political adviser and social ethicist Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development and our society. Beautifully animated by the RSA.
Today’s College Students Lack Empathy
June 2nd, 2010 by Mark Schultz No comments »From LiveScience Managing Editor Jeanna Bryner:
College students today are less likely to “get” the emotions of others than their counterparts 20 and 30 years ago, a new review study suggests.
Specifically, today’s students scored 40 percent lower on a measure of empathy than their elders did.
The findings are based on a review of 72 studies of 14,000 American college students overall conducted between 1979 and 2009.
Promoting Empathy With Your Teen
May 19th, 2010 by Mark Schultz No comments »
From Ugo Uche, blogger at Psychology Today…
In the last five years, I have been witness to a movement led by psychologists and mental health clinicians, spreading a message that main stream child rearing practices unintentionally create children who are psychologically fragile. A favorite theme for this movement has been, “We are creating a nation of wimps.” This movement has been born primarily in response to the idea of anti bullying rules and laws being passed to prevent students saying hurtful remarks to their peers.
While I have agreed with the psychological fragility most youths in today’s culture struggle with, I do not believe the problem lies with a lack of psychological toughness in today’s youth. Rather I believe the problem lies with a fundamental lack of understanding and practice of conscientiousness and empathy.
