The Arithmetic of Compassion

Psychology professor Dr. Paul Slovic discusses the way people tend to perceive mass tragedies and losses at scale. He and his colleagues worldwide have developed methods to describe risk perceptions and measure their impacts on individuals, industry, and society. His most recent work examines “psychic numbing” and the failure to respond to global threats from genocide and nuclear war.

We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single person in need - yet we often ignore mass tragedies and fail to take appropriate measures to reduce their losses.  As casualty numbers grow larger, we become insensitive; the data fails to trigger the emotion or feeling necessary to motivate action. In some cases, large numbers convey a false sense of inefficacy, discouraging us from taking valuable actions. Understanding how our minds deceive us in the face of large losses of life is essential to motivating actions needed to reduce the harm from the catastrophic consequences associated with poverty, disease, climate disasters, and violence.

Moderated by Ozgen Dundar.

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