Just a Little Nicer

Compassion is a universal virtue, but is it innate or taught? Have we lost touch with it? Can we be better at it? TED speakers explore compassion, its roots, its meaning and its future. Political pundit Sally Kohn says we shouldn't worry as much about being politically correct, but instead we need to focus on being emotionally correct. Journalist and broadcaster Krista Tippett argues that overtly saintly and sappy connotations have made us lose touch with the true meaning of compassion — so she proposes a linguistic revival. Author Robert Wright says humans are not only wired to be compassionate but we have evolved to feel compassion out of self-interest. Religion scholar Karen Armstrong describes how compassion is the core principle in all world religions — in the form of the golden rule. And psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, examines why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.

Learn more or listen again to this week's episode. which originally aired on December 21, 2014.