- Taylor Tomasini
- Sugar Land, TX
- United States
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What are examples of where we've used (as a society) our intellect but not our compassion?
From Jacqueline's "The Blue Sweater":
"If you move through the world only with your intellect," he said in a direct and clear voice, "then you walk on only one leg." With his hands held in prayer, he lifted one leg and slowly and deliberately hopped three times. With the same deliberation and pace, he restored his foot to the floor. After a long breath, he started again. "If you move through the world only with your compassion," he said, lifting his other leg, "then you walk on only one leg." Again, he hopped three times. "But if you move through the world with both intellect and compassion, then you have wisdom." He walked slowly and gracefully, taking three long, slow strides. At the end he bowed his head again and then resumed his seat on the cushion in front of me.
From Jacqueline's book she uses the example of international aid as an act of the intellect, but not of compassion. The aid was being administered in an way that made sense, but had the unintended consequence of creating a society of people dependent on it. What made the aid lack compassion was that no one talked to the poorest of people to really understand what they needed -- to walk in their shoes. And as a result the aid was creating a society of waiters instead of initiators while achieving the opposite of the intended result.
What other examples you can you think of where this is part of our world? Maybe it is in business? Maybe in our social policies? Maybe in our laws? Maybe in our academic theories?
What are your thoughts?
Casey Christofaris 10+
Robert Winner 50+
After massive donations, big federal intervention, and red cross and others appearances in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, during Sandy .... why are they still boarded up ... homeless ... and generally no better off. The New Orleans Mayor Ray Negi is under indictement by the way. Even worse is the overseas donations ... the cash is skimmed here and then takes a heavy hit by the leaders of the government of the nation where they are destined.
For smart people we do really dumb things and worse yet continue to do them over and over expecting different results.
Just comments from a guy that lives outside of the box. I wish you well. Bob.
Taylor Tomasini
Luckily there is hope. In John Mackey's book Conscious Capitalism he highlights how the executive team of Whole Foods has a compensation cap not to exceed 19x the average pay of all team members; a number that is way below most other organizations. And his company is a for-profit enterprise.
John Mackey is a great example of people living out the entire nature of their intelligence -- living with compassion, intellect, emotional intelligence, etc.
Taylor Tomasini
You see in his talk that he moved from designing what he intellect told him he should, to deeply understanding the world of each stakeholder. In understanding his stakeholders, Timonthy and his team designed a product that produced the right intended outcome.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I think the approach they offer is unusual (it doesn't involve pointing across the aisle or dramatic negative characterizations of other people's presumed values and motivations) and productive in the sense of offering guidelines as to what sorts of aid might work best to improve the quality of life for currently poor population in the years to come.
It is, I think, a useful part of the picture for anyone commited to this area.
Taylor Tomasini
Fritzie Reisner 100+
What I think is more accurate is that people honestly believe the strategies they are promoting are the best thing for the population at hand and it is difficult to interpret the outcomes so as to understand whether the concept was wrong or the implementation was wrong.
I think it can be prudent not to assume as much evil in others as many people do naturally or in modern culture.
Taylor Tomasini
I actually think that complexity is the point of this entire TED page. I think our problems have become so complex that we can't just use our intellect to solve them anymore. To point back to the Jacqueline example, she used the entire spectrum of her intelligence (her intellect, compassion, creativity, etc.) to address the problem of international aid.
What I'm proposing on this TED page is that we need that full spectrum of intelligence if we are to better address the problems of our day.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
In life, many observers are quick to find extreme fault in those who are trying to do difficult things. People do bungle things, of course, or hold to strategies that may make little sense to others, but the root cause of error or even folly is not necessarily the lack of a caring heart.
Taylor Tomasini
Taylor Tomasini
Over 20 years, I'd changed. At one time I sounded just like those wealthy philanthropists, looking for ways to make a difference with an uncritical eye, certain of my ideas, not questioning whether there were countervailing forces that had to be reckoned with in order to achieve long-term success. The genocide had exposed the dangers of a country overly reliant on aid, illuminated the perils of government power concentrated in too few hands and dependent on systems lacking accountability, and shown the fault lines of idealism without tough pragmatism. I was returning more humble and ready to listen at a deeper level.
I believe the tough pragmatism Jacqueline talks about only comes from compassion. Why? Because she can't assess the reality of the situation and understand what is pragmatic without understanding the world of the people she is trying to help.
To me, walking with both intellect and compassion is what has set Jacqueline apart.
carolyn mcauley 10+
Daryl Roche
If International Aid where applied using both Intellect and Compassion than the the target of the aid would to remove the underlying causes of the issue with an end goal of giving those afflicted the ability to provide for themselves after aid is withdrawn, not simply addressing the symptom, i.e. their suffering. The example of International Aid is spot on...
Taylor Tomasini
Any examples of intellect without compassion that come to mind for you?
Taylor Tomasini
Here's what I was going for:
Karen Armstrong describes compassion in her book:
So “compassion” means “to endure [something] with another person,” to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes, to feel her pain as though it were our own, and to enter generously into his point of view.
What I meant by using the word compassion is that aid that does not generously step into another's point of view, is not compassion. In the same way, aid that makes the recipients dependent is aid that has not taken the step of putting ourselves in somebody else's shoes.
Jacqueline noted in her book that aid can be just as much about the ego of the giver as it is about the recipient.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I think there are plenty of decisions that are made without compassion and many without either intellect or compassion. I think only that weak examples are distracting.
Taylor Tomasini
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I will look forward to reading the compelling examples others put forward.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Taylor Tomasini