What makes us behave compassionately?

This weekend, The New York Times reported on two new studies that help explain what makes people behave compassionately. Regardless of what happens to another person, David DeSteno writes, simply finding similarities between ourselves and other people, is enough to greatly increase the compassion we feel, and increase social harmony. And the similarities don't have to big — tapping out the same rhythm as another participant was enough to increase empathy in one of the studies. See the Times' report on the studies here.

For more ways to develop compassion, see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's "I Want to Be… Loving," and Judy Lief's "I Want to Be… Skillful," both from the current, July 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine. And consider adding your name to religious historian Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion, a call to action that transcends religious and ideological beliefs and encourages people around the world to campaign for a more compassionate global community.

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