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Our culture is often portrayed as greedy. We supposedly want money, power and fame, but at the same time, it’s in our nature to care deeply for others, whether those individuals are our children, parents, partners, friends or even strangers.
In the latest webisode of “Fig. 1,” a University of California series that explores new ideas and research surrounding science, technology and more, University of California, Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner discusses findings that say our brains are hardwired to feel compassion.
“We’re wired to care. If you feel pain, a part of your brain lights up, and if you see someone have physical pain that same part of your brain lights up,” he says.
In addition to being wired to care for others, being a kind person who does compassionate things has great rewards.
“When we have feelings of caring or love for other people, we feel better,” clinical psychologist Lisa Firestone previously told The Huffington Post. “We all think we want to be loved, but what actually feels good to us is feeling loving — and part of what makes us feel more love for other people is doing kind, compassionate things for them.”
H/T Medical Daily
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/brain-caring-about-others-empathy_n_6277994.html
