Compassion and intentionally cultivating it through training may lead us to do more to help the wronged than to punish the wrongdoer.
Older Women More Likely to be Compassionate Towards Strangers
Older women, plucky individuals and those who have suffered a recent major loss are more likely to be compassionate toward strangers than other older adults, suggest researchers.
Older women, plucky individuals and those who have suffered a recent major loss are more likely to be compassionate toward strangers than other older adults, suggest researchers.
‘Compassion may lead us to do more to help the wronged than to punish the wrongdoer. The findings may help develop compassion training for specific populations that care for those who are suffering, like health care professionals.’
Lead researcher Helen Weng said, "It can also help researchers develop better interventions to cultivate compassion. Any action, helping or punishing, can arise from compassion, which involves at least two components: a 'feeling' component of empathic concern and caring for the suffering of another; and a cognitive, motivational component of wanting to alleviate that suffering. It may seem counterintuitive that punishment behavior can arise from compassion, but if the goal is to alleviate suffering of others, this may include providing negative feedback to the wrongdoer so that they change their behavior in the future. We hope this work can be used to help develop compassion training for specific populations that care for those who are suffering, like health care professionals."
Senior author Richard J. Davidson said, "We can use simple practices to help us activate and nurture these propensities and apply them in settings in which they can dramatically impact the climate and interactions that ensue in everyday life, including in education, health care and the workplace."
The study is published in PLoS ONE.
How About A Pill to Make You More Compassionate?
If biology influences human behavior, especially in social situations, it implies that our social interactions could be manipulated by a pill.
If biology influences human behavior, especially in social situations, it implies that our social interactions could be manipulated by a pill.
Meditation Increases Compassionate Behavior
Meditation has a positive effect on compassion and virtuous behavior, says study.
Meditation has a positive effect on compassion and virtuous behavior, says study.
Healthy Minds can be Trained to be More Compassionate
Till today, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion.
Till today, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion.
