Becoming Wildly Resilient: From Empathy to Compassion
In this episode, host Jakob Hester is joined by Dr. Erin Hester, an assistant professor in the College of Communication and Information who also happens to be his wife. They close out the second year of the podcast with a conversation on empathy and compassion. Listen as they discuss: the definitions and differences between the two; benefits of each, both in and out of the workplace; and ways we can get better at experiencing empathy and expressing compassion.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Past Episode: “Ep. 21: Cultivating Connection” with Drs. Anthony Limperos and Scott Soltis
- Personality Quizzes: Harry Potter Hogwarts House and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
- Conversation Starters: Table Topics
- Evolutionary Roots of Empathy and Compassion: connection to Charles Darwin’s writings
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Examples of Empathy and Compassion:
- Book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
- Real-World Example: Nelson Mandela
- Show: Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
- Show: “Ted Lasso” as an archetypal empathetic leader
- Researcher: Amy Edmondson, PhD and psychological safety
- Research and Tools: self-compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff
- Book: “The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World” by Jamil Zaki, PhD
- Book: “Against Empathy” by Paul Bloom, PhD
- Research: Moral Foundations Theory
- Website: “The Arithmetic of Compassion”
- Book: “Number and Nerves: Information, Emotion, and Meaning in a World of Data” by Scott Slovic, PhD and Paul Slovic, PhD
- Global Organization: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—the UN Refugee Agency
- Meditation: loving-kindness examples from Greater Good in Action and Insight Timer
- Book: “Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power that Elevates People and Organizations” by Monica C. Worline, PhD and Jane E. Dutton, PhD
- Website with Resources: The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University
- Local Organization: Compassionate Lexington, Inc. and the #LexGiveBack campaign
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Playlist: A Wildly Resilient Playlist, now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music
- What songs would you add? Let us know at healthandwellness@uky.edu.
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Employee Resources:
- support for personal resilience, including consults and health coaching
- support for mental health, including 5 free counseling sessions per fiscal year
- Upcoming HR Work-Life and Well-Being Events: HR calendar
Contact Us
Have feedback or know someone at UK that would be a good guest? Email us at healthandwellness@uky.edu.
You can listen and follow all episodes of “Becoming Wildly Resilient” wherever you find your podcasts.
