Joan Halifax: Compassion and the true meaning of empathy

http://www.ted.com Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

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• TED
• TEDTalks
• TEDWomen
• Joan Halifax
• Buddhism
• Compassion
• Culture
• Death
• Global Issues
• death row
• dying
• empathy
• nature of empathy
• humanity

[therealbreadfan]

1) What's with the hands?

2) Why do the religious feel it's their duty to always throw their religion in other peoples faces?

3) A little less drama would be nice.

4) Compassion without rational thought is useless. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Mother Teresa provided care for the dying, but did close to nothing to save them, because she truly believed that their suffering would lead them to Paradise. I wonder if TRUE belief in reincarnation/rebirth is any different...

[Migpoola]

My favorite part is how if you replace every time she says "woman" with "man" it would become sexist.

[Maiyaee]

Beautiful ... :) ! ty

[devourerofbabies]

Why is it that anyone preaching compassion instantly gets a lot of hate?

[Scorpion0x17]

@therealbreadfan:

1) It's really no different to, say, stroking one's beard.

2) Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion.

3) You probably wouldn't say that if she were, say, discussing a complex scientific subject.

4) Rational thought without compassion leads to horrific acts of violence.

[fudgyboy2]

I am shocked by the above responses. if it is dramatic or irrational for someone to challenge human beings to cultivate compassion, then so be it. Learn.. Try to drop your armor and listen carefully...

[twoz3ro]

@therealbreadfan What- Why do the religious throw their religion... Dude, just go find something to do, maybe something OUTSIDE, because your getting weird. Please don't keep guns around. Jesus. Oops

[earlyrisersteph]

Many dislikes. I wonder. Joan takes on a lot of pain, and has been doing so for a long long long time. Perhaps she needs a rest, who are we to know what Joan needs - I know she is totally authentic. Imagine working with dying people for 40 years!!!!

[masusomasuso]

@fruiteo I (female) agree. I wonder what has stopped people around her from telling her she is taling out of her ass. Condescension maybe?

[masusomasuso]

I cannot f#cking believe she got on the channel and Sarah Silverman didn't.

[diannabowen]

the reason this video has so many thumbs down is because Joan Halifax puts emotions like compassion and empathy in a good light, and says they are necessary. Our culture mistakenly views them as a weakness. And why in the hell is everybody saying this wasn't scientific enough? It's a talk about compassion, it's not supposed to be scientific! That's like trying to analyze a symphony with math.

[AnaLoGMunKy]

@fruiteo

It could be because women are more emotional. You cant science everything.