In common forms of compassion, we extend empathy to those who are “like me,” we express caring in soft ways, and we’re motivated to relieve the immediacy of suffering and perhaps change its psychological or interpersonal causes. This is already beautiful and profound. And – to meet the challenges of our times, we will explore an expansive compassion, with:
empathy for those who we dislike or oppose
caring expressed in ways that are bold, penetrating, even “fierce”
motivated efforts applied to the upstream, systemic causes of suffering, not just their downstream effects
Rick Hanson, PhD is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His eight books have been published in 33 languages and include Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Resilient, Neurodharma, Just One Thing, Making Great Relationships, A Happy, Healthy Mom, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well podcast – which has been downloaded 30 million times. He offers free newsletters, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He and his wife live in northern California and have two adult children. He loves the wilderness and taking a break from emails.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe the three primary components of compassion;
Explain how prosocial capabilities and brain size fostered each other in positive cycles during evolution; and
Describe how the "caring-and-sharing" strategy for regulating social life in the human species differs from the "holding-and-controlling" strategy in other primate species.
Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.