Need some encouraging science to start off 2015? We are built to be kind Greed is good. War is inevitable. Whether in political theory or popular culture, human nature is often portrayed as selfish and power hungry. But is this common belief true? UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner challenges this notion of human nature and seeks to better understand why we evolved pro-social emotions like empathy, compassion and gratitude. Weve all heard the phrase survival of the fittest, born from the Darwinian theory of natural selection. Keltner adds nuance to this concept by delving deeper into Darwins idea that sympathy is one of the strongest human instincts — sometimes stronger than self-interest.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:22:36 +0000