Compassion – World Changing Power
“The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without an understanding of compassion.” – Socrates
As I was exploring the concept of compassion, I ran across the work of Dr. Chris Kukk. This intriguing professor of political science has a passion for giving his students “the bigger picture of the world they live in.” As the Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation, Kukk works to create awareness of the importance of compassion in daily and professional life. Stay with me – there is more.
Not only was Kukk a Fulbright Scholar who has taught at Harvard, Boston College, and Western Connecticut University – where he was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award, he is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Military Intelligence School’s Counterintelligence Agent Program. It was his work as a counterintelligence agent that raised his awareness of the great need for compassion in our world.
In a brief on The Compassionate vs. Empathetic Brain Kukk writes, “Research has clearly shown that compassion can be taught and learned. Envision a world in which economics, education, medicine and even politics are infused with more compassion. Practicing compassion in politics would not only help Congress to act but act constructively.“
A man with these credentials could be imparting knowledge on a variety of weighty topics, but his area of focus is compassion. The interesting thing is that when you stop and think about it, there is not a more world changing topic. Just think – if we consciously work to weave compassion into education – the impact it could have on our children. Human beings are social creatures who are wired for compassion, but we must foster and develop those skills. Kukk tells us that compassion is a “power source” that contributes to the success of individuals and the building of community. Actively teaching and raising awareness of compassion can help us build resilience and understanding in our students. This in turn can create more effective and compassionate schools, which in turn can create more caring communities, which in turn can actually be world changing. See where I am going?
Harvard’s Graduate School of Education conducted a study that states, “Almost 80 percent of students (rank) achievement or happiness over caring for others.” Connect with any type of media and the need for a more compassionate world hits you in the face. The brightest minds in the world fall flat if they don’t have the skills to get along with others. Integrating compassion into our daily instruction will not only strengthen the social and emotional skills of our children, but it can impact their intellectual success, which can result in some pretty world-changing outcomes.
Want to be inspired too? Listen as Dr. Kukk talks about building compassion.
