Do Schools Kill Empathy & Compassion? | Rahul Adhikari, MBA ’23 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

A former self-centered student discusses the negative impact of competitive education systems on empathy and compassion, and emphasizes the need to prioritize these qualities for a better world.

Key Insights

• 🎓 Competitive education systems promote an inward-focused mindset, hindering empathy and compassion development.
• 💱 Encouraging outward-cenric change-making experiences at a young age can lead to lifelong passion for creating positive change.
• 🖐️ Supportive adults play a crucial role in nurturing children's empathy and compassion.
• 🪡 Education systems need to strike a balance between academic excellence, empathy, and compassion.
• 👶 Implementing the ESA framework (encourage, support, appreciate) can foster empathy and compassion in children.
• 👶 Empathy and compassion are innate in all children; they need nurturing to thrive.
• 👶 Individuals can make a difference by prioritizing empathy, encouraging children to help others, and supporting their meaningful initiatives.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did encountering teenagers with empathy and compassion challenge the speaker's view?

The speaker realized that teenagers like Anju and Xabi were outliers because they deeply cared about others and took action to make things better. This challenged the speaker's earlier belief that most students are solely focused on themselves and academic success.

Q: What does the speaker think is the main problem with current education systems?

The speaker believes that current education systems prioritize academic excellence and competition, leading to an inward-looking, self-focused mindset. Students become adept at obtaining good grades and jobs but miss out on becoming empathetic, responsible, and conscious citizens.

Q: What patterns were found in the stories of individuals creating change?

The speaker found two patterns. Firstly, most individuals who create change develop their passion for it through outward-looking experiences at a young age. Secondly, they had at least one supportive adult who believed in and encouraged them throughout their journey.

Q: How did the speaker's program for middle and high school students overcome resistance from schools?

Initially, schools rejected the program, stating that academics should be the sole focus. To convince them, the program was offered for free for a year. Despite the initial resistance, children loved the program and actively identified and tackled social or environmental issues.

Summary

The speaker shares his personal experience of being a self-centered student and the competitive pressure in the education system. He then introduces two young individuals, Anju and Xabi, who demonstrate empathy and take action to make a positive difference in their community. This leads him to question why empathy and compassion are not mainstream qualities in students today. He quits his job and starts a social enterprise to address this issue. Inspired by the stories of people dedicated to social change, he and his team design a program to encourage middle and high school students to take action on social or environmental issues and provide support and appreciation for their efforts. Despite facing initial resistance from schools, they find that children are enthusiastic about the program and make significant impacts. The speaker concludes that all children are born with empathy and compassion, but it is crucial to nurture these values as they grow. He encourages individuals to implement the ESA framework (Encourage, Support, Appreciate) to foster empathy and compassion in children.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the speaker feel the need to focus on himself when he was a student?

The speaker felt the need to focus on himself because he had high expectations from his parents and teachers, especially in the math and sciences. He believed that to meet these expectations and succeed in competitions, he needed to prioritize his own achievements over helping others.

Q: Who were Anju and Xabi, and what made them different from the speaker and other students?

Anju and Xabi were two young individuals the speaker encountered who showed deep care for others and took action to improve their community. Unlike the speaker and the kids he knew, who were self-centered, Anju and Xabi demonstrated empathy and compassion by dedicating their energy to causing positive change.

Q: What did the speaker identify as the reason for Anju and Xabi being outliers in their empathy and compassion?

The speaker attributed the disparity to the education systems and the intense competitive pressure placed on students. The relentless pursuit of academic excellence and better grades promotes an inward-focused, self-centered mindset instead of nurturing empathy and compassion.

Q: What did the speaker do to address the issue of empathy and compassion in children?

The speaker quit his job and started a social enterprise to tackle this issue. His team designed a program for middle school and high school children, encouraging them to identify social or environmental issues and take action to solve them. They provided support and appreciation to the children through a framework called ESA (Encourage, Support, Appreciate).

Q: Why did schools initially reject the program designed by the speaker and his team?

Schools rejected the program because they did not see any value in it and believed that children should solely focus on their academics. They prioritized academic achievements rather than considering the development of empathy and compassion.

Q: How did children respond to the program designed by the speaker and his team?

Children loved the program and quickly identified the problems they wanted to tackle. They passionately took action and made significant impacts in their communities. The program empowered them to discover new sides of themselves and become agents of change.

Q: Can empathy and compassion be nurtured in all children?

Yes, empathy and compassion are innate qualities in all children. The challenge is to maintain and foster these qualities as they grow up. With encouragement and support from adults, these humane values can thrive, but without such nurturing, they can be stifled and suppressed.

Q: What are the big problems discussed by the speaker that necessitate a change in the education system?

The speaker mentions political polarization, growing inequality, and climate change as significant challenges faced by society today. These problems highlight the need for a fundamental shift in how children are raised and educated, moving from an inward-focused, self-centered mindset to an outward-focused, compassionate mindset.

Q: How does the speaker believe his own career would have been affected if he had developed empathy and compassion as a child?

The speaker does not believe his career would have been any less successful if he had exhibited more empathy and compassion as a child. However, he ponders how the lives of his friends who lacked these qualities might have been better. He also contemplates whether they would have passed on the empathy they experienced to their own children, potentially creating a ripple effect of positive change.

Q: What can individuals do at the individual level to foster empathy and compassion in children?

Individuals can make a difference by implementing the ESA framework (Encourage, Support, Appreciate) in their interactions with children. They can encourage children to think about and help others, support them when they undertake meaningful initiatives, and appreciate their efforts. By being champions of empathy, individuals can keep the flame of empathy alive in children, enabling them to create a better world in their professional lives and beyond.

Takeaways

The speaker emphasizes the need for a fundamental change in the way children are raised and educated. Academic excellence should not come at the expense of empathy and compassion. A program that encourages children to take action on social and environmental issues, along with the support and appreciation from adults, can help nurture these values. It is important for individuals, both at the institutional and individual levels, to prioritize empathy and compassion to address the pressing problems of our world and create a better future for all.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker reflects on being a self-centered student focused on academic success, neglecting empathy and helping others.

• Two teenagers who exhibited empathy and took action to bring positive change inspired the speaker.

• The education system's focus on grades and competition results in children lacking empathy, compassion, and real-world skills.