The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World

2022-23 Positive Links Speaker Series
The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
March 23, 2023
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About the event:
Empathy is in short supply. We struggle to understand people who aren’t like us. Studies show that we are less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States was suffering from an “empathy deficit.” Since then, things seem to have only become worse—but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Join us for a virtual fireside chat with Stanford University Professor Jamil Zaki as he discusses his groundbreaking book, "The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World," with host Ethan Kross. You’ll learn about Zaki’s cutting-edge research, including experiments from his lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. Zaki will share stories of people who embody this new perspective, fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. And you will learn ways to work on and build your own empathy—the same way you’d strengthen a muscle.

Presenter:
Jamil Zaki
Associate Professor of Psychology, Stanford University
Author of "The War for Kindness"

Host:
Ethan Kross
Faculty Associate, Center for Positive Organizations; Professor of Psychology and Management & Organizations, University of Michigan

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About Positive Links:
The Positive Links Speaker Series, presented by Michigan Ross’ Center for Positive Organizations, offers inspiring and practical science-based strategies to build and bolster thriving organizations. Attendees learn from leading positive organizational scholars and connect with our community of academics, students, staff, and leaders.

More: https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu