Category Archives: empathy through education

The view from the diving-bell

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 13 March 2010
‘When I came to that late-January morning the hospital opthalmologist was leaning over me and sewing my right eyelid shut with a needle and thread, just as if he were darning a sock. Irrational terror swept over me.’ These words appear in Jean-Dominique Bauby’s remarkable autobiography, The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly (1997). In 1995 Bauby was at the height of his career as editor-in-chief of French Elle magazine, when he was suddenly struck by a massive stroke. Although his mental faculties were unimpaired, he was left completely paralysed and speechless, a rare condition known as Locked-In Syndrome. The only part of his body he could move was his left eyelid, which he used to ‘dictate’ the book, having developed a system of repeated blinks to represent each letter of the alphabet.
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Five ways to expand your empathy

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 1 January 2010
It is usual, at this time of year, to make a series of earnest New Year’s Resolutions which – by tradition – you resolutely fail to keep. Why not try promising yourself some New Year’s Explorations instead and widen your personal horizons. Expanding your empathy might offer just what you are looking for. Empathising is an avant-garde form of travel in which you step into the shoes of another person and see the world from their perspective. It is the ultimate adventure holiday – far more challenging than a bungee jump off Victoria Falls or trekking solo across the Gobi desert. Here are my five top tips for transforming yourself into an empathetic adventurer over the coming months.
Also posted in empathy through conversation, empathy through experience | 8 Comments

Why we need a Climate Futures Museum

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 6 December 2009
When I think about what is likely to result from the global climate change talks taking place in Copenhagen this month, I feel nothing but despair. Why? Because whatever kind of deal is struck is highly unlikely to keep global warming below two degrees. The majority of people in rich countries simply don’t care enough [...]
Also posted in climate change, politics, public policy | 1 Comment

Using babies to teach empathy in schools

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 8 November 2009
I’m delighted to see that one of the great pioneers of empathy education, Mary Gordon, has just had her book Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child By Child, published in the UK. It’s about time. The programme she founded in Canada in 1995, also called Roots of Empathy (ROE), has revolutionised how empathy skills [...]
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