Written by Tamarra Kemsley.
The acts of heroism seen even within seconds of the detonation of the bombs at Boston Marathon included people who seemed to utterly forget fear for their own wellbeing in order to protect that of others. However, Tuesday’s events were not first time the world’s seen such selflessness before: firefighters and policemen and women during the 9-11 attacks, for example, come to mind for many.
And while for years scientists have struggled to explain such behavior which, for many of us, seems to represent a complete reversal of inborn instincts of self-preservation, a number of new studies have been able to identify how society may have evolved to include such humans.
Emma Seppala, the associate director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, is just one of several pioneers in this relatively new field of study. And the way she sees it, the interpersonal connection that occurs during times of crises may one reason why humans have survived thus far.
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