According to new research, people have the ability to rise above their tribalist tendencies and significantly increase their “moral circle” of care. Tribalism often compels humans to place loyalty and familiarity above reason and compassion, but it can also be harmless and even enjoyable, such as supporting a beloved sports team. However, the so-called “culture wars” have shown that people can be pushed into tribalistic corners with much more ominous results.
The study, arranged by a key player at the Global Compassion Coalition and conducted by researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia, aimed to expand people’s “circles of concern.” Participants took part in a two-hour workshop designed to help them develop more compassion for themselves and others and were then asked to continue with compassion-based exercises for two weeks.
The results showed that the intervention made a significant difference to the participants’ levels of concern for individuals beyond their immediate family and friends. This included people who are stigmatized and even so-called “villains” such as murderers. Crucially, the results were shown to hold over time: a three-month follow-up indicated that once expanded, people’s circles of concern continued to encompass new groups and communities.
The researchers believe that the findings could offer significant insights, indicating that the skills this intervention gave participants are crucial for cultivating in national and world leaders. This groundbreaking study provides evidence showing that cultivating compassion can have transformative benefits that can go beyond the individual and have ripple effects beyond one’s closest circle of care and moral concern
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