Category Archives: empathy through collaboration

The Empathy Top Five: Who are the greatest empathists of all time?

The moment has finally come for the Outrospection blog to put its cards on the table and boldly declare who are the greatest empathists of all time. Our selection committee has been painstakingly deliberating over the choices for several months, and you might well be surprised by the results. No, Barack Obama does not appear in our top five, even though he believes 'the empathy deficit' to be the greatest scourge of modern society. And not even famed empathetic individuals such as the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa or Jesus Christ have shown what it takes to make the grade.
Also posted in empathy through conversation, empathy through experience, film, general, literature | 2 Comments

Colin Ward – an obituary and appreciation of the chuckling anarchist

Colin Ward was one the greatest anarchist thinkers of the past half century and a pioneering social historian. He died earlier this month at the age of eighty-five, leaving a legacy of over thirty books and a huge following of activists, educators and writers – amongst them myself – who were inspired by his approach to radical social change, which always favoured practical, grass-roots action over utopian dreamings of revolution. The outpouring of obituaries in The Guardian and elsewhere are testimony to his influence.
Also posted in design, obituaries, politics, reviews | 4 Comments

Tackling the empathy deficit

Welcome to my new blog about empathy – the art of stepping into the shoes of other people and seeing the world from their perspective. I believe that empathy can help us escape from the narrow confines of our own existence and guide us towards more adventurous and fulfilling lives. Empathy is also a radical tool [...]
Also posted in background, empathy through conversation, peace building | 7 Comments