the age of empathy

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Are we our brothers’ keepers?

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Page 1: The Age Of Empathy

Are we our brothers’

keepers?

Page 2: The Age Of Empathy

Do we have an instinct for compassion

Or……………………

Page 3: The Age Of Empathy

Is SURVIVAL the main concern?

OR…

Page 4: The Age Of Empathy
Page 5: The Age Of Empathy

FRANS DE WAAL A biologist at Emory

university Studies altruistic and

social behavior in primates

About the author

Page 6: The Age Of Empathy

A book of revelations Aiming to overthrow common

assumptions!A book of surprising disclosures Interspersed with shockers!

Makes one a thinker, IT IS A TRUE EYE-OPENER!

What this book is all about?

Page 7: The Age Of Empathy

Examine empathy from an evolutionary perspective.

Challenge the notion that human society is ONLY competitive, war-like, selfish, greedy.

Focus of this book

Page 8: The Age Of Empathy

Common assumption:

Human race THRIVES based on principles of:

• Survival of fittest• Natural selection

Frans de Waal counteracts each one of these by stating that empathy comes naturally to us and we have in turn acquired it from primates.

Page 9: The Age Of Empathy

How many of us have a turtle as a pet?

Or an iguana perhaps???

Page 10: The Age Of Empathy

Why do we prefer cats and dogs as pets? This is

because these animals are capable of having an emotional connection and are capable of feeling.

Page 11: The Age Of Empathy

Book reportThis extremely well-written book is rich of research, biological observations and anecdotes about primates and other species.

The author builds a strong case to support the thesis that ‘advanced’ emotional and mental processes such as EMPATHY are not unique to humans, but have observable antecedents among numerous other species within the animal kingdom.

MAIN PREMISE: Challenge the simplistic view, based loosely on Darwin, that society is about "survival of the fittest" and "natural selection".

He stresses that cooperative behavior is necessary for most mammalian animal societies to exist.

Page 12: The Age Of Empathy

The following anecdotes from the book are some of my favorite and are a glimpse to provide insight on the animal kingdom,

their behavior and similar stories from their brethren- the human race!

Page 13: The Age Of Empathy

ANECDOTES

Origins of altruism and fairness

Once upon a time,

Two monkeys given hugely different rewards for same taskThe one at the shorter end, refused to perform!

Once upon a time,

Two individuals rejected income as the distribution was unfair !

Since any income should beat none, this shows that both animals and people fail to follow the profit principle to the letter.

Shows natural dislike of injustice.

Protest against unfairness.

Page 14: The Age Of Empathy

We take SOCIAL NETWORKS for granted.

A new climbing structure was built for chimpanzees at a research center. During the one month that it took to build, the chimps were locked next to the site, in separate cages and some were in separate buildings too.

There was a huge gathering of people the day the chimps were to be released and let into the climbing structure. Expectations were galore on which chimp would scale the heights first!

Page 15: The Age Of Empathy

What followed was completely unexpected!

The chimps literally jumped into each others’ arms, kissing andhugging!

The chimps hardly noticed the new construction, even while standing under it!

Re-establishing social connections and bonding was a priori here!

Page 16: The Age Of Empathy

HERD

INSTINCT

The number of long-tailed macaques was once counted on islands Which had cats ( tigers, leopards), and those that did not.

The monkeys were found traveling in large groups on islands withcats and travelled in smaller groups on safer islands.

More vulnerable a species, larger its aggregations!

High degree of interdependence.

Page 17: The Age Of Empathy

HERD

INSTINCT

When walking with someone…

...why do we automatically fall in step with

them?

Page 18: The Age Of Empathy

HERD

INSTINCT Why do we love a Mexican wave?

Page 19: The Age Of Empathy

We oscillate together at pop concerts!

We take aerobics classes where we all jump up and down to the same beat!!

WHY???

Page 20: The Age Of Empathy

WE ARE GROUP ANIMALS TO A TERRIFYING DEGREE!

The human herd instinct beats that of some animals also!!

Page 21: The Age Of Empathy

TRUST

Animals develop trust relationships Readily, even between species.

In an old-fashioned zoo, a monkey andhippopotamus were kept n the same enclosure. Part of daily routine was the monkey approaching the hippo after the latter had finished a meal of cucumbers. The monkey would tap the hippo’s mouth, which would open wide.

The monkey would then lean in and Pull food remains from the hippo’s teeth, Eating whatever he pulled out.

Such stories are abundant and countless!

Page 22: The Age Of Empathy

In Denmark, it is common practice for mothers to leave their babies on strollers unattended outside stores!!!

“Where would one go with an abducted child?”,they ask.

“Wouldn’t everyone ask where the child came from?”

TRUST

Page 23: The Age Of Empathy

TRUST

I guess it’s no wonder that the Danes

have the lowest crime rate in the world!

world’s highest happiness score!

The faith that Danes unthinkingly place in one another is called “social capital”

- maybe the most precious capital there is!

Page 24: The Age Of Empathy

Ask anyone why we (the human race) are the way we are?

And pat comes the reply- “Oh, that’s the way it has been for

ages!”◦“It’s in our genes”

“If I am selfish and competitive, blame the ancestors! They were the ones who taught us to fight for survival!"

Page 25: The Age Of Empathy

Animals are peacemakers, Not aggressive Not competitors NOT fighting for survival!!!

There is an ‘empathetic’ and ‘sympathetic’ side to them too!

Page 26: The Age Of Empathy

De Waal studies apes and monkeys, specifically, how emotionally ‘developed’ they are,

and how ‘EMPATHY’ could evolve in a species.

The author shows human emotion to be a bottom-up process and that our advanced ethical reasoning is built up from structures and behaviors that we use that are found throughout the animal kingdom.

Book Report Contd.

Page 27: The Age Of Empathy

He clearly shows all the ways animals and humans, are inheritors of a peaceful and

cooperative genetic legacy that is the polar opposite of the

"dog eat dog" mentality which is the misconception that human

evolutionary biology has helped create in our culture.

Book Report Contd...

Page 28: The Age Of Empathy

How can one explainBengal tigers that nurse piglets,

Bonobo apes that help wounded birds to

fly, Seals that rescue drowning dogs?

OR

Who would expect that a rhesus monkey will forgo the opportunity for food if pulling the chain that delivers it will electrically shock a companion?

Book Report Contd...

Page 29: The Age Of Empathy

The anecdotes I have mentioned are but a few of the kaleidoscope of experiences that de Waal has seen and observed/been a part of.

Too many people invoke "evolution" to justify treating each other in contemptuous ways.

The human race today is essentially thought of as selfish, greedy, etc.

Is this true? I don’t think so. Empathy is something we have gained from our ancestors.

BOOK

REPORT

Page 30: The Age Of Empathy

Something we must treasure and which is age old.

Then where has this empathy disappeared?

In the entire book, I learnt about so many species and their ways, there was something common amongst all of them—

Not a single species tries to torture/wipe out its own kind!

BOOK

REPORT

Page 31: The Age Of Empathy

I think the human race, the so called most evolved race is the only one to do so!

It’s time we learnt a lesson from our forbears take this lesson in civility to heart.

Before attaining the peaks of civilization,

one must pay attention to the foothills.

The peaks may glimmer in the sun, but it is the foothills that will take us to them.

Page 32: The Age Of Empathy

Through a better understanding of empathy's survival

value in evolution, we can work together

towards a more just society

based on a more generous and accurate

view of human nature.

Page 33: The Age Of Empathy

This book has had a huge influence on the way I think– Every behavior of mine- I stop to question and think from where it may have originated?

It has made me more curious and leaves me wanting more answers!

I will also now try to be more empathetic towards everyone I come across, keeping in mind the legacy I am now a part of!