PART 2, Empathy-Based Society: Vision or Utopia
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
— Buckminster Fuller
Welcome to the second article in my introductory series. In this article we will look at how evolution has hardwired our brains for empathy, its implications and benefits. We will also explore how this information can be used to address the root causes of humanity’s current problems, and what we need to focus on when developing solutions for a more sustainable future.
Evolution needs us to be empathic
The mechanisms for empathy have evolved over millions of years in animals and later in humans. Empathy is one of the key elements of our survival. We are born with a brain hardwired for empathy. It equips us with the ability to recognise, understand and share the emotions, thoughts and needs of other people, animals or even literary heroes. Empathy is a prerequisite for caring for our children and a driver of pro-social behaviour aimed at benefiting other people, the community and society as a whole. As well as humans, many animals have empathy, including mice, elephants, rats, monkeys, dogs, cows, pigs, magpies, cats and octopuses. Nature has clearly endowed us with the skills we need to survive, connect, thrive and ensure the survival of our (and other) species. Yet humanity is now on the brink of self-destruction. The next logical question is: if the biological purpose of humans is to be empathic and to ensure the survival of their offspring, how is it that we have evolved into a society whose practices threaten the survival of our children? It seems that something has turned off our evolutionary survival tool — empathy.
What can switch off human empathy?
Dr Moya Albiol and a group of Spanish neurologists answered this question in 2010. They discovered that the brain areas for empathy partially overlap with the brain circuits for violence. This means that when one is activated, the other is switched off. They cannot be expressed at the same time. Encouraging empathy inhibits violence and vice versa. But being born with it is not enough. Empathy needs to be developed and strengthened through education, nurture, learning and personal experience — through environmental stimuli. If a child grows up without access to empathic nurturing models, they will learn to be violent. If direct and structural violence is promoted and normalised through socialisation, education, learning and habits, this will inhibit the development and expression of empathy on an individual and collective level. This is why what we teach our children really matters.
Modern science has given us an insight into how empathy and violence can be expressed in the individual. Is there a similar dynamic at the level of society? The position Sapiens gained by climbing to the top of the food pyramid gave them immense power. They could use their position to create an empathic, connected and sustainable society for people, animals, nature and the planet. Or they could go in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, Sapiens have used their position of power to violently and destructively subjugate and deplete animate and inanimate nature. You can read more about how violence is normalised and manifested in today’s society in Part 1.
Can we change?
They say you can’t change everything you face. But you can’t change anything without facing it first. The first step we need to take is to admit that our society is built on violent dynamics. Only when we recognise what is the driving force behind our many crisis and problems will we be able to solve them. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on the symptoms of problems rather than the real cause behind them. Our main problem is not wars. They are terrible and barbaric. But they are only a symptom of the problem. Our main problem is not plastic bags. They are harmful and toxic, but they are also just a symptom of the problem. Even the climate crisis is not our main problem, it is a symptom. They are all symptoms and the root cause is the violent practices that underpin the society that Homo sapiens has built. A lack of empathy and connection with ourselves, other people, animals, nature and the planet has led us to where we are today. The solutions we develop should therefore focus on addressing not only the symptoms but also the root cause of these harmful practices.
At the crossroads
We have experienced first-hand what kind of future a society based on violence leads us to. What kind of future awaits us if we begin to build a society based on empathy? Empathy for ourselves, for each other, for all living things and for the planet. We are now in a position where science offers us a deeper insight into the causes of problems and the knowledge of how to adopt new values and practices that are consistent with a sustainable and flourishing future.
Creating an empathic society is a direction for a new, different future. How do you tackle something so big? This is not a challenge for one person, or one group of people, or one NGO, or one start-up. It is a challenge for all of us. Empathy can be learned and strengthened in many ways, through socialisation, education and experience. As individuals, we can apply it in our personal and professional lives. We are at a unique moment in history when, with the help of latest scientific knowledge and tools, we can take a conscious step towards strengthening the millions of years of evolutionary potential for empathy and cooperation, and begin to build the foundations of a new civilization paradigm.
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power no government can suppress, a power that can transform the world.” ― Howard Zinn
