Born to be Good: Survival of the Kindest

It’s a dog eat dog world…every man for himself…there’s a sucker born every minute…nice guys finish last…survival of the fittest. For centuries, writers, philosophers, scientists and scholars have been painting a picture of human nature that life is nasty, brutish, and short. However, if you ask Dacher Keltner, we only have to look at human emotions such as compassion, awe, and embarrassment to see that the human race is wired to be good.

A professor of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, and Co-Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, Keltner suggests in his latest book, Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, that those positive emotions are designed by evolution to ensure the survival of our communities and the human race as we know it. In essence, it’s all about survival of the kindest, not the fittest.

Born to Be Good highlights how the human experiences of compassion, awe and embarrassment are the formula for leading a happy fulfilling life and ultimately form our social fabric. Keltner notes that events in history such as the genocides in Rwanda, and all other acts that have disregarded the value of human life, are historical exceptions to the default tendency in human beings. Even in such events, he explains that aggressors and soldiers often have a “sympathy breakthrough”. Statistically 80-85% of people in combat “can’t pull the trigger and shoot the enemy.” Keltner explains that “sympathy breakthroughs” happen because we recognize the humanity in the enemy. He says this shows that even in extreme circumstances there is a strong tendency towards compassion and cooperation.

In his research, Keltner has noticed that compassion and cooperation are not only trends on the battlefield. He says a new school of thought is emerging in western society. We have reached a cultural turning point, or what he calls the end of the “me” decade. The old school of thought, or the pursuit of material goods is fading away. Keltner says that the economic meltdown has especially presented an opportunity for us to re-evaluate and shift some of our habits and values away from workaholism, and towards things that bring the greatest joy like spending time with our friends and loved ones.

Already in the United States, 30% if all Americans volunteer and unconditionally devote their time and resources to complete strangers. Keltner sees this number growing in the years to come.

In a recent guest appearance on CBC Radio One’s Tapesty with Mary Hynes, Feltner explained the reason why compassion, awe and embarrassment are the key human emotions to lead a happy life. Particularly interesting was his analysis of why humans get goosebumps, and how goosebumps in primates and other animals differ. He explained that goosebumps in primates and animals are dramatic displays of trying to expand their size, showing dominance when hierarchy is being established. In humans, we experience goosebumps when we experience something that we love and are a physical representation of reverence and awe. Whether it be music, nature, or a religious experience, goosebumps are a sign of transcendence from the “self” and connecting to the social collective. Opposite to primates and animals, goosebumps reflect a loss of ego. Keltner explains that in scientific studies of the brain, when we experience awe, the self-interested portion of the brain turns off.

Dacher Keltner’s current research in his laboratory focuses on pro-social behaviors, power and moral reasoning, and collective emotion. He is the author of more than 80 scholarly articles and two books. More information about ongoing research can be found at http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~keltner/