N4L 173: “The Power of Kindness” by Dr. Brian Goldman
SUMMARY “The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy Is Essential in Everyday Life” by Dr. Brian Goldman is the result of a veteran ER physician questioning his empathy quotient. Concerned his ability to be kind has diminished, Goldman travels the world looking for stories and data about empathy. Relieved to learn neuroscientists believe humans are hard-wired to experience empathy, he investigates why kindness is so vital to our very existence. KEY TERMS Empathy – the ability or capacity to imagine what it’s like to be someone else and have your actions be informed by that Empathy Fatigue - can result from a barrage of media images and news coverage designed to make us care about one cause after another Compassion – the doing part of empathy, sometimes called emotional concern Validation - a method used to show empathy towards Alzheimer’s patients Synchrony - the superhighway that leads to connection and to kindness Apathy – the antonym of empathy The dark triad – those not kind at all: narcissisists, psychopaths and sociopaths, Machiavellianism Callousness – a general disregard for other and a lack of empathy QUOTES FROM GOLDMAN “When I’m kind to people, I see them as being like me, and me like them.” “You’re more likely to empathize with members of another group if you discover reasons to like [them].” “Some of us are born extraordinarily kind. But most get there only after experiencing pain and then learning from it.” “If you want to be kind to others, the first person you must connect with is you.” BUY The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy Is Essential in Everyday Life RECOMMENDATION Watch Dr. Brian Goldman’s TED Talk, “Doctors make mistakes. Can we talk about that?” Connect with us! Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Website Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit