A third reason mindfulness appears to cultivate regardless of the time, mindfulness helps us stay empathy and compassion is that it guards against the connected to what is most important. As the Zen feelings of stress and busyness that make us focus monk teaches, most important thing is to “The more on ourselves and less on the needs of other remember the most important thing.” people. For me, the most important thing is to continue This was famously demonstrated in the to explore, with an open heart and mind, what classic conducted by John Darley and Daniel mindfulness truly is, and help illuminate how it can Batson in the 1970s. Darley and Batson assigned be of greatest benefit. We clearly do not have all the seminary students at Princeton University to deliver answers yet; I think what is most interesting is to a talk on the Good Samaritan. While on their way to ask the questions. As Rilke said, patience “Have their presentation, the students passed someone with everything unresolved in your heart and try to (working with the researchers) who was slumped love the questions themselves.” over and groaning. The researchers tested all kinds The exploration of mindfulness requires great of variables to see what might make the students sensitivity and a range of methodological glasses. stop to help, but only one variable mattered: whether Our science—and our lives—will benefit by looking or not the students were late for their talk. Only 10 through all of them, illuminating the richness and percent of the students stopped to help when they complexity of mindfulness. were late; more than six times as many helped when they were not in a hurry. Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D., is a professor at Santa This study suggests that people are not Clara University, a clinical psychologist, and inherently morally insensitive, but when we’re internationally recognized expert in mindfulness. stressed, scared, hurried, it’s easy to lose touch with She has published over 100 journal articles and our deepest values. By helping us stay attuned to book chapters, and co-authored the critically what’s happening around us in the present moment, acclaimed book, , as well as . © 2013, Greater Good and Shauna Shapiro source:
A third reason mindfulness appears to cultivate empathy and compassion is that it guards against the feelings of stress and busyness that make us focus more on ourselves and less on the needs of other people. This was famously demonstrated in the classic conducted by John Darley and Daniel Batson in the 1970s. Darley and Batson assigned seminary students at Princeton University to deliver a talk on the Good Samaritan. While on their way to their presentation, the students passed someone (working with the researchers) who was slumped over and groaning. The researchers tested all kinds of variables to see what might make the students stop to help, but only one variable mattered: whether or not the students were late for their talk. Only 10 percent of the students stopped to help when they were late; more than six times as many helped when they were not in a hurry. This study suggests that people are not inherently morally insensitive, but when we’re stressed, scared, hurried, it’s easy to lose touch with our deepest values. By helping us stay attuned to what’s happening around us in the present moment, regardless of the time, mindfulness helps us stay connected to what is most important. As the Zen monk teaches, “The most important thing is to remember the most important thing.” For me, the most important thing is to continue to explore, with an open heart and mind, what mindfulness truly is, and help illuminate how it can be of greatest benefit. We clearly do not have all the answers yet; I think what is most interesting is to ask the questions. As Rilke said, “Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.” The exploration of mindfulness requires great sensitivity and a range of methodological glasses. Our science—and our lives—will benefit by looking through all of them, illuminating the richness and complexity of mindfulness. Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D., is a professor at Santa Clara University, a clinical psychologist, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness. She has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and co-authored the critically acclaimed book, , as well as . © 2013, Greater Good and Shauna Shapiro source:
shapiro-compassion.docx