Born To Be Good: The Science of A Meaningful Life October 20, 2012 Dacher Keltner University of California, Berkeley

Sympathy Breakthroughs (Jonathan Glover, Humanity) George Orwell George Orwell Miklos Nyiszli Miklos Nyiszli 75% of soldiers refuse to shoot at enemy 75% of soldiers refuse to shoot at enemy

An Evolutionary Conundrum and Parting of Ways Russel-Wallace: Sympathy created by God Thomas Huxley: A cultural construction

Darwin: Survival of the Kindest Darwin argued that sympathy “will have been increased through natural selection; for those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring” (Darwin, 1871/2004, p.130).

Take care or die

A Reliable Signal of Compassion: It’s not in the face

The Vocal Register of Compassion

Viral Goodness: The Spread of Compassion Neonate distress cries Emotional, Physiological Convergence in Friends Compassion inspires elevation Gratitude spreads through networks Positive Emotion spreads through communities Collective Joys

Tactile Contact: The First Language of Compassion

Touch Rewards Rewards Builds Trust Builds Trust Signals Safety Signals Safety Soothes Soothes

Touch and the spread of goodness

Coding Touch

Survival of the Kindest: Compassion as an Adaptation Shaped by Natural Selection Health of offspring Sexual Selection Social Selection

Vagal Superstars Richer friendship networks More sympathetic prosocial children Trusted more in interactions with strangers

Compassion and midbrain periaqueductal grey activation

Oxytocin and Pro-Sociality Monogamy in prairie voles Monogamy in prairie voles Secure attachment behaviors Secure attachment behaviors Oxytocin care-taking in mammals Oxytocin care-taking in mammals Generosity in humans Generosity in humans

Self-less genes Oxytocin Receptor Gene (rs53576) ( Rodrigues, Saslow et al., 2009, PNAS)

Cynical views of the nature of good-natured The very emphasis of the commandment: Thou shalt not kill, makes it certain that we are descended from an endlessly long chain of generations of murderers, whose love of murder was in their blood as it is perhaps also in ours. Sigmund Freud The very emphasis of the commandment: Thou shalt not kill, makes it certain that we are descended from an endlessly long chain of generations of murderers, whose love of murder was in their blood as it is perhaps also in ours. Sigmund Freud If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject. Ayn Rand If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject. Ayn Rand Con’t…

Buddhism If you want others to be If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; if you want to be happy practice compassion. His Holiness the Dalai Lama

A Compassion Crisis

Deficits in Compassion in US Children

TEN TIPS FOR THE GOOD LIFE Connect vs. IsolationFist bump, back pat, 10 minute mindfulness Trust vs. DistrustDescribe others in terms of good intentions Give vs. GreedService learning, volunteerism Play vs. AggressionNicknames, wrestling, satirize self Appreciate vs. BlameGratitude diary, Thank You letter Optimism vs. PessimismDelights of small goals Acceptance vs. RejectionSpeak respectfully; praise effort not ability Narrative vs. SuppressionQuestions, Diaries, Thorns & Roses Contemplate vs. HyperactivityFavorite sayings, count to six breathing exercise Sacred vs. AnomieSacred place, camping, museum, patterns Greater Good Science Center

Cultivating compassion The Breath Contemplative traditions –Loving Kindness meditations –Richard Davidson, Jon Kabat-Zinn –Barbara Fredrickson Shift in brain chemistry, stronger immune function, cortical control over the amygdala

Cultivating compassion The social ethics tradition –Touch –Kind speech –Difficult conversations (Meng: Search Inside of Yourself)

Cultivating Compassion The Narrative Tradition –Family stories (Oliners) –Concepts in your environment (Shaver) –Great sayings –If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion (HHDL)

Cultivating compassion The designed environment tradition –Benefits of nature –Benefits of art, music

Be part of the compassion revolution… TEDx June 11, 2011: A compassion curriculum Greatergood.berkeley.edu Emotionmaster.com