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Q: How to be kind? A: To not be aggressive. The problem is, depending on the environment and personal positions, kindness isn't necessarily the most useful opt

Q: How to be kind? A: To not be aggressive. The problem is, depending on the environment and personal positions, kindness isn't necessarily the most useful option, and even if everyone likes it, kindness doesn't necessarily sustain itself. The most important new information about aggression I've got in years is from Prof. Robert Sapolsky's lectures on Human Behavioral Biology. Mind blowing, totally recommend you watch it on Youtube. In the conclusion to his 4-lecture series on the subject of aggression (https://youtu.be/BqP4_4kr7-0?t=6081 https://youtu.be/BqP4_4kr7-0?t=6081), he says: We have this general notion that if we are rational, if we are learned, if we are scholarly, if we respect thoughts and truth and all of that, we will make the world a better place. All of us who are professorial have somewhere in there this totally ridiculous belief that if you're allowed to lecture at a subject long enough, it will give up and go away. And that will be the cure for the world aggression. If everybody could be lectured to about the frontal cortex, it will solve world violence. But the basic problem is that aggression is such a messy set of behaviors. Schizophrenia - no question about it, bad news. Alzheimer's disease, childhood cancer, global warming, all of these unassailably bad news. But aggression is a whole lot more complicated, because of that point where we started with, which is, the same exact behaviors, and depending on the context, it could be something that would get a medal for someone, someone you will want to mate with, vote for, reward, cheer on, join in. And in another setting, it is the most frightening thing that can happen to us. And it's the same behaviors in all those cases. And it's for that reason, that violence is going to be the hardest subject for us to understand biologically. And it's for that reason, that it's always going to be the one we have to try hardest to understand.

jes 5y ago
I fully agree with you on the value of Robert Sapolsky’s video series on HBB.
zerop 5y ago
Aggression is also important in certain scenario when it demands. The problem is when it's expected in everything you do. If aggression and obsessions are part of your everyday that's when it becomes problem and one starts feeling need for kindness. Good video out there.
vincent-toups 5y ago
I'm not sure that I buy you're assertion that kindness is either necessarily or sufficiently described by a lack of aggression per se. Kindness is maybe better described by keeping the the inner life of your fellow beings in the forefront of your mind and treating them with respect relative to that inner life and your own hopefully well though out ethical frame. I can certainly see how that would often limit the amount of aggression you would employ but I see that as a secondary effect.
ElViajero 5y ago
> depending on the environment and personal positions, kindness isn't necessarily the most useful option That is why C-level is so important. It starts there the creation of an efficient well-managed company were collaboration, trust and kindness are nurtured and valued. I have worked in both types, companies that value trues and companies that value internal-competition, distrust and "strongman". And kindness is way more effective at delivering, finding and correcting risks, and it is a pleasure to work there.

jes 5y ago

I fully agree with you on the value of Robert Sapolsky’s video series on HBB.

zerop 5y ago

Aggression is also important in certain scenario when it demands. The problem is when it's expected in everything you do. If aggression and obsessions are part of your everyday that's when it becomes problem and one starts feeling need for kindness. Good video out there.

vincent-toups 5y ago

I'm not sure that I buy you're assertion that kindness is either necessarily or sufficiently described by a lack of aggression per se. Kindness is maybe better described by keeping the the inner life of your fellow beings in the forefront of your mind and treating them with respect relative to that inner life and your own hopefully well though out ethical frame. I can certainly see how that would often limit the amount of aggression you would employ but I see that as a secondary effect.

ElViajero 5y ago

> depending on the environment and personal positions, kindness isn't necessarily the most useful option That is why C-level is so important. It starts there the creation of an efficient well-managed company were collaboration, trust and kindness are nurtured and valued. I have worked in both types, companies that value trues and companies that value internal-competition, distrust and "strongman". And kindness is way more effective at delivering, finding and correcting risks, and it is a pleasure to work there.