The findings suggest adults feel more prosocial with children around – even if they don’t have any themselves.
Improving death-friendliness offers further opportunity to improve social inclusion. A death-friendly approach could lay the groundwork for people to stop fearing getting old or alienating those who have.
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For many of us, the popular film, ‘Groundhog Day’ may bring up fond memories of a classic comedy. But a scholar argues there’s more to the film – it’s a lesson in mindfulness.
President-elect Joe Biden speaks on Nov. 10, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. Can he bring compassion to foreign policy?
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
It’s been said that empathy is Joe Biden’s superpower. A therapeutic approach to foreign policy under Biden might go a long way in easing tensions around the world exacerbated by Donald Trump.
Young people at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, cheer Pope Francis in 2015, following his comments endorsing same-sex civil unions.
AP Photo/Aaron Favila
The Vatican has clarified that Pope Francis’ support of civil unions did not change church doctrine. A theologian explains what Francis is doing is departing from Catholic rhetoric on the family.
Are cats really to blame for the worldwide loss of biodiversity?
Dzurag/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Framing cats as responsible for declines in biodiversity is based on faulty scientific logic and fails to account for the real culprit – human activity.
The coronavirus crisis isn’t hitting all communities equally hard, calling for not just aid like this California food bank but also justice-oriented policies to redress harms.
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Confronting the massive social problems caused by the coronavirus requires policies built on compassion, solidarity and justice – core values of virtuous societies worldwide.
Essential workers expose themselves to the coronavirus every day.
zoranm/Getty Images
Buddhist monks have been chanting sutras to provide spiritual relief during the coronavirus crisis. A scholar of Buddhism translates some Buddhist teachings into ways we can deal with uncertain times.
We’re best able to tailor our acts of kindness to the needs of those around us when we see from others’ points of view.
(Anastasiia Pyvovarova /Unsplash)
One way to maintain our well-being might be to reflect on others’ needs and devise ways to be quietly kind.
The Satanic Temple unveils a statue of Baphomet, a winged-goat creature, at a rally for the First Amendment in Little Rock, Arkansas, in August 2018.
AP Photo/Hannah Grabenstein
A group known as The Satanic Temple was started with the political goal of advocating for the value of church-state separation. This group is now challenging the traditional definition of religion.
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, one of the landmarks in Brunei. Brunei recently announced punishing gay sex by stoning offenders to death.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Jessica Marglin, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Some Islamic nations, including Brunei, have harsh punishments under Sharia. In pre-modern times, Sharia was rarely used as criminal law, and standard of proof for any prosecution was very high.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern wore a headscarf to comfort mourning family members after the Christchurch mosque shootings.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File
After the Christchurch mosque shootings, New Zealand’s prime minister didn’t start a war on terror. She covered her head, cried, paid for funerals and passed gun control. Is it because she’s a woman?
Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh.
AP Photo/Richard Vogel
Devotees from many parts of the world are visiting the ailing 92-year-old monk, who has retired to a Buddhist temple. He taught how the practice of mindfulness could be combined with daily actions.
An anti-abortion advocate in Jackson, Mississippi, March 2018.
AP/Rogelio V. Solis
Are Democrats or Republicans more caring about others? One study of the role compassion plays in politics provides some surprising answers. And then there were the outliers: Trump voters.
Doctors can play a role not only in the treatment of their patients but also broader issues.
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The knowledge and experience of doctors offer much-needed lessons for our rancorous society.
Research shows that a parent’s level of generosity and charitable behaviour is linked with their child’s display of the same behaviours.
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Children start developing empathy and compassion as toddlers and should have a good understanding of generosity by age nine. Parents can help foster these behaviours.
A pink pigeon in the wild of Mauritius.
Arcalexx/Flickr
Pink pigeons may make more charismatic subjects for our adoration, but their feral relatives who keep us company in towns and cities are just as deserving.
Turns out some CEOs are genuinely out to make a difference.
Craig Golding/AAP
It’s easy to be cynical about charity drives like the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Are they just PR stunts or can they make a difference beyond fundraising? Our study shows they can, and they do.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary