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Compassion: Our First Instinct
Decades of clinical research has focused and shed light on the psychology of human suffering. That suffering, as unpleasant as it is, often also has a bright side to which research has paid less attention: compassion. Human suffering is often accompanied by beautiful acts of compassion by others wishing to…
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The Best Kept Secret to Longevity: Love
Look younger! Feel more vibrant! Boost your stamina! Live Longer! Those are the promises made to us by marketing gurus about countless products from facial creams to dietary supplements, from the latest diet trend to the newest fitness fad. Psychological research, however, points us to a far greater (and less expensive!) secret to longevity….
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The Unexpected Benefits of Compassion for Business
Managers often mistakenly think that putting pressure on employees will increase performance. What it does increase is stress—and research has shown that high levels of stress carry a number of costs to employers and employees alike. Stress brings high health care and turnover costs. In a study of employees from…
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Why Compassion in Business Makes Sense
Managers often mistakenly think that putting pressure on employees will increase performance. What it does increase is stress—and research has shown that high levels of stress carry a number of costs to employers and employees alike. Stress brings high health care and turnover costs. In a study of employees from…
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The Science Behind the Joy of Sharing
Positive experiences happen to us everyday yet we don’t always take full advantage of them. Have you ever noticed that it could be a great day (you had 8 hours of sleep, it’s the weekend, had a great conversation with a friend etc…) but that it takes just one harsh word…
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Building Trust and Compassion in Banking Through Transparency and Social Capital
Written by Daniel Martin, Ph.D., and Bruce Cahan, J.D. The Bank CEO Who Listened David Brooks recently shared a conversation with a bank CEO. Economists found downside risks to continuing the bank’s presence in Italy. The CEO knew staying there would be unprofitable in the short term but didn’t want…
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Callousness Comes With A Cost
The Dalai Lama once said that “compassion is a necessity, not a luxury … without it, humanity cannot survive.” Compassion is the emotion that we feel in response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help. Philosophers, humanists, and theologians have long argued that this emotion plays…
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Even in Business, a Little Forgiveness Can Go a Long Way
It’s difficult to avoid conflict at work. Sure, we can try to prevent conflict in the first place, but with so many different personalities, working styles, and stress-inducing responsibilities, the employee that never experiences conflict is more likely to be the exception than the rule. When conflict sneaks its way…
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Science of Compassion: Business & Compassion Part 2
By increasing the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system and decreasing the tone of the sympathetic nervous system, we are brought into true balance. This is done through compassion.
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Science of Compassion: Business & Compassion, Part 1
For many work can be the place at which they are the most stressed and least happy. In fact, work is often considered a ruthless cut-throat environment with little if any compassion.