At the risk of beating a dead horse…
November14
Listen to Steven Pinker at about 22 minutes in describing how we’ve gotten less violent towards one another in part because we build empathy, and reduce violence, by reading fiction, and narrative non-fiction accounts about people other than ourselves. A business memo does not build that kind of change, but that kind of change is much better for business, if you listen earlier in the podcast.
Of course this type of approach iis much better for business and more importantly for the entire society. It builds on tradition of liberal education, rooted in the Greeks and later the Enlightenment. Learning for learning’s sake as a means of empowering individuals (oh, I actually hate that term, but it’s early and can’t do any better) through the development of intrinsic values and ethics, transferable skills and the ability to reflect on and engage in the world around us.
Thanks, Alice.
Thank you Lori! He also argues that commerce and trade contribute to less violence, can’t you just feel a virtuous circle being formed? Makes ya wanna sing “Kumbaya”!