 |
|
Are Power and Compassion Mutually Exclusive?
December 18, 2008The fact that many cultures emphasize the concept of "noblesse oblige" (the idea that with great power and prestige come responsibilities) suggests that power may diminish a tendency to help others. Psychologist Gerben A. van Kleef (University of Amsterdam) and his colleagues from University of California, Berkeley, examined how power influences emotional reactions to the suffering of others.
A group of undergraduates completed questionnaires about their personal sense of power, which identified them to the researchers as either being high-power or low-power. The students were then randomly paired up and had to tell their partner about an event which had caused them emotional suffering and pain. Their partners then rated their emotions after hearing the story. In addition, the researchers were interested in seeing if there were physical differences in the way high-power people and low-power people responded to others' suffering; specifically they wanted to test if high-powered individuals would exhibit greater autonomic emotion regulation [or respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity]. When we are faced with psychological stress, our RSA reactivity increases, resulting in a lower heart rate and a calmed, relaxed feeling. To measure RSA reactivity and heart rates, all of the participants were connected to electrocardiogram (ECG) machines during the experiment.
The results, reported in the December issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reveal that individuals with a higher sense of power experienced less compassion and distress when confronted with another's suffering, compared to low-power individuals. In addition, high-power individuals' RSA reactivity increased (as indicated by lower heart rate) as they listened to the painful stories; that is, high power participants showed more autonomic emotion regulation, which buffered against their partner's distress.
Analysis of the participants' final surveys (where they rated their thoughts about their partners) revealed that high-power individuals reported a weaker desire to get to know and establish a friendship with their partner. In other words, powerful people were not motivated to establish a relationship with distressed individuals. This idea is supported by the fact that the distressed participants reported less of a social connection with high-power partners compared to low-power partners. The authors suggest that powerful people's tendency to show less compassion and distress towards others reinforces their social power.
These results do not just apply to how powerful people react to strangers; the authors note that this study "suggests that high-power individuals may suffer in interpersonal relationships because of their diminished capacity for compassion and empathy. The many benefits enjoyed by people with power may not translate to the interpersonal realm."
Association for Psychological Science
Analysis of the participants' final surveys (where they rated their thoughts about their partners) revealed that high-power individuals reported a weaker desire to get to know and establish a friendship with their partner. In other words, powerful people were not motivated to establish a relationship with distressed individuals. This idea is supported by the fact that the distressed participants reported less of a social connection with high-power partners compared to low-power partners. The authors suggest that powerful people's tendency to show less compassion and distress towards others reinforces their social power.
These results do not just apply to how powerful people react to strangers; the authors note that this study "suggests that high-power individuals may suffer in interpersonal relationships because of their diminished capacity for compassion and empathy. The many benefits enjoyed by people with power may not translate to the interpersonal realm."
Association for Psychological Science
Compassion Current Events and Compassion News RSSA comprehensive review of addiction to prescription painkillers among patients and physicians
Chemical dependency and recovery in patients and physicians are closely examined in a series of articles and editorials in the July 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Compassion fatigue: Impact on healthcare providers of caring for the terminally ill
Compassion fatigue in nurses, doctors and other front line cancer-care providers significantly impacts how they interact with patients, with patient families, with other healthcare workers, and with their own family.
The culture of medicine
Everybody is familiar with the stereotypes of medical education from the student perspective: grueling hours, little recognition, and even less glory.
Compassion meditation may improve physical and emotional responses to psychological stress
Data from a new study suggests that individuals who engage in compassion meditation may benefit by reductions in inflammatory and behavioral responses to stress that have been linked to depression and a number of medical illnesses.
How to get a college roommate you can live with
Anxious college freshmen can relax. No matter who will be sharing their dorm room, they have the power to make the relationship better, University of Michigan research suggests.
Study shows compassion meditation changes the brain
Can we train ourselves to be compassionate" A new study suggests the answer is yes. Cultivating compassion and kindness through meditation affects brain regions that can make a person more empathetic to other peoples' mental states, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
NIH State-of-the-Science Panel Seeks to Dispel Stigma Associated With Fecal and Urinary Incontinence
An independent panel convened this week by the NIH found that fewer than half of individuals experiencing fecal or urinary incontinence - the inability to control bowel movements or urination, respectively - report their symptoms to healthcare providers without being prompted.
AMPATH: Restoring lives not just immune systems
he HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa is decimating populations, depressing economies, deepening poverty and destabilizing traditional social orders.
New paper on oxytocin reveals why we are generous
Neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak of Claremont Graduate University has new research, and a paper, "Oxytocin Increases Generosity in Humans," which will be published November 7, 2007 in PLoS ONE, the online, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science.
Humans and monkeys share Machiavellian intelligence
When it comes to their social behavior, people sometimes act like monkeys, or more specifically, like rhesus macaques, a type of monkey that shares with humans strong tendencies for nepotism and political maneuvering.
More Compassion Current Events and Compassion News Articles
 |
Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Author), Donald McNeill (Author), Douglas Morrison (Author) Compassion, no longer merely an eraser of human mistakes, is a force of prayer and action, say the authors--the expression of God's love for us and our love for Him and one another. |
 |
The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the Practice of Happiness in the Meeting of Buddhism and Psychology by Lorne Ladner (Author) Now in paperback, this practical guide to cultivating compassion delivers Buddhist and psychological insight right where we need it most—navigating the difficulties of our daily lives. Compassion is often seen as a distant, altruistic ideal cultivated by saints, or as an unrealistic response of the naively kind-hearted. Seeing compassion in this way, we lose out on experiencing the transformative potential of one of our most neglected inner resources. Dr Lorne Ladner rescues compassion from this marginalised view, showing how its practical application in our life can be a powerful force in achieving happiness. Combining the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism and Western psychology, Ladner presents clear, effective practices for cultivating compassion in daily living. |
 |
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions by Christopher K. Germer PhD (Author), Sharon Salzberg (Foreword) The psychological benefits of mindfulness are well established. Yet for people who struggle with difficult emotions like anxiety, guilt, anger, loneliness, sadness, or low self-esteem, mindfulness practices can be enhanced by adding a simple yet powerful ingredient: self-compassion. Without it, we all too often respond to emotional suffering with self-criticism, shame, or defensiveness—tough-to-break habits that only make suffering worse. This wise, eloquent, and practical book illuminates the nature of self-compassion and offers easy-to-follow, scientifically grounded steps for incorporating it into daily life. Practical examples and innovative exercises and techniques make this an ideal resource for readers who are new to mindfulness or want to bring an... |
 |
Compassion: Thoughts on Cultivating a Good Heart by Amy Lyles Wilson (Author) COMPASSION: THOUGHTS ON CULTIVATION A GOOD HEART invites us to consider that our attention to the little things makes it easier to appreciate the concerns of our friends, families, communities and the world at large. In doing so, we begin to conduct our lives with an ever-present spirit instead of saving such outpouring for tragic situations and natural disasters. The essays in this powerful little book provide examples for doing just that be it tending injured animals or bearing the burdens of another. Writers as varied as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Wendy Wright and Robert Corin Morris urge that we appreciate the gift that compassion offers. You'll be guided through several practical paths of enhancing your capacity to care. |
 |
Compassion: Listening to the Cries of the World by Christina Feldman (Author) Compassion in the face of pain, anguish, or unspeakable evil often produces confusion and bewilderment: How can someone endure such unjust suffering with such calm? Wouldn't it be more natural, and more proper, to not be calm at all? In Compassion, Christina Feldman draws over 30 years of experience as a Buddhist to explain how ordinary people are able to use compassion to overcome negative feelings like tragedy, pain, and terror. Feldman first examines compassion itself, using Buddhist texts and real-life stories to explain precisely what this strange force is, and argues that it is the most precious of all gifts. Feldman then proceeds to show, in six separate chapters, how compassion can be used in the face of adversity, mapping out meditations and strategies that can overcome the dark... |
 |
An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life by The Dalai Lama (Author), Nicholas Vreeland (Author) How does one actually become a compassionate person? What are the mechanisms by which a selfish heart is transformed into a generous heart? The Dalai Lama's teachings on this essential subject, drawn from talks he delivered during his epochal visit to America in 1999, form the basis of this universally appealing book. |
 |
Universal Compassion: Transforming Your Life Through Love and Compassion by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (Author) The heart of Buddha’s teachings is unconditional love and compassion. In this inspired explanation of the popular Buddhist poem Training the Mind in Seven Points, Geshe Kelsang reveals powerful and far-reaching methods for us to develop these altruistic states. Ancient meditative techniques that have been tried and tested for centuries are brought alive and made relevant to our everyday experiences. Also included is a practical and uplifting explanation of how we can transform our day-to-day living – including even the most demanding and difficult conditions – into opportunities for personal and spiritual development. By pointing the way to an unchanging freedom and happiness, this immensely readable book challenges us to grow, and will have a remarkable impact on... |
 |
Compassion by Dechen Shak-Dagsay "Seldom do I hear singing and music so suffused with gentle beauty and calmness as I did on Compassion. Tibetan vocalist Dechen Shak-Dagsay's songs and mantras, impeccably accompanied by flute, piano, Tibetan bowls, tambura, and subtle synthesizer textures, wrap around you like a soft blanket, comforting and imbuing you with a sense of inner peace and serenity. These songs are a spiritual oasis for our troubled souls in these perilous times, and only the most hardened of hearts will remain unaffected by this recording." -- Bill Binkelman, New Age Reporter
"Compassion by Dechen Shak-Dagsay is absolutely beautiful ... my patients loved it and actually commented on how relaxing it was. I thought it was very soothing and melodic." -- Gina Johnson, Licensed Massage Therapist... |
 |
Love! Valour! Compassion! Starring: Jason Alexander, Stephen Spinella, Stephen Bogardus, Randy Becker, John Benjamin Hickey Directed By: Joe Mantello "Love!" follows eight gay men, longtime friends, who spend three summer holiday weekends together at a beach house. |
 |
Plaid: A Tale of Compassion by Leslie Young; Patricia Field(Artist) (Author) A sweet little Scottie dog named Plaid is feeling sad because he has a broken leg and he does not think his friends, Duff and Dooney, care or even notice. He becomes very happy, though, when he discovers that not only do they notice him sitting under a cherry tree, but they help him to feel better. With Duff and Dooney's help, Plaid returns to his old playful self again, showing us how important and very valuable compassion is. This timeless children's book is reminiscent of old fashioned children's tales. It is full of goodness, kindness and understanding and, in its gentle simplicity, illustrates the joys of compassion. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |