Richie and Cort discuss The Most Important Thing in Episode #1 of Dharma Lab.
02:22 – "My religion is Kindness"
05:25 – Kindness is the most important thing — apply a "kindness acid test" to all you do
08:08 – How kindness and compassion have (or haven’t) been studied in neuroscience
12:44 – Defining "kindness" and "compassion" in scientific and Buddhist terms
18:55 – Changing your focus from empathy to compassion can reduce burnout
26:49 – Empathy vs. compassion: toddler study example
29:10 – Question for Cort: Is empathy a prerequisite for compassion?
32:23 – Question for Richie: Are kindness and compassion innate or developed?
36:30 – Using kindness as an antidote to anxiety or anger
41:36 – Kindness and compassion as a skill
44:30 – New data: Healthy Minds kindness trainings improve teacher outcomes
49:30 – Perspective shift: consider how your actions benefit others
56:13 – Switching from a “needs” to a “service” mindset
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