Another insight today from Krista Tippett, who I mentioned yesterday.
According to Krista, we live in an age of tolerance, generally devoid of real compassion. Compassion gets a bad rep in modern society, commonly used in the media as a synonym of ‘pity’.
In the modern interconnected world – and especially in business – we swim in a sea of statistics, strategies, tasks and objectives. And while those things all matter, by themselves they’re not enough. We’re bumping up against their limits. To connect with people, you also need compassion.
How do you find compassion? According to Tippett, compassion is released through signs and stories.
As humans, we need stories to survive and flourish. We need stories to belong. Our traditions have always cultivated stories at their heart. Stories and signs are in fact practical tools, in a world longing for compassion.
Where do these signs and stories come from? Real compassion comes through exposing your flaws, not hiding them. Your flaws are actually your best route to compassion and understanding, if you’re willing to talk about them.
Rob
P.S. You can watch Krista’s TED talk that inspired today’s post here.
