And Now The Good News: Compassion Is Alive And Well with Marc Ian Barasch

MP3 Download What is compassion, really? Where does it come from? Is there a physiological basis for it? Are we entering an era of escalating vengeance and violence or one of forgiveness? Marc Ian Barasch is hopeful that compassion is emerging from the quiet province of the individual and community to a motivating force among many political leaders and a cornerstone of their governments’ social policies. Even in the unlikely realm of scientific analysis, he points out, the roots of kindness are now studied by biologists, behaviorists, and sociologists. Barasch notes, “People talk about ‘helper’s high.’ There’s a lot of interest in that all of a sudden. Why is it that we feel good when we’re helping other people? It’s a sort of evolutionary reward circuit, because evolution likes it when we cooperate.” He shares his observations of compassion in the midst of political upheaval in Rwanda as well as his personal experience of forgiveness within his own family. His insights give us reason