Sam Richards: A radical experiment in empathy

[@andregdj]

One of the best fucking TED Talks in all the years I've been watching

[@ichwillnick]

I could watch this video every day, because it just feels good to hear someone talk the truth and do something about all the hate in the world. This vid is one of the best i have ever seen and worth spreading on any given occasion.

[@RichT519]

Quite possibly one of the best speeches I've ever seen. Just amazing in every way. Gives great commentary on not judging people before you put yourself in there shoes. Imagine how great the world would be if everyone was able to do this.

[@LINKotis333]

i never thought to realize that i was being empathetic towards the whole world this whole time,understanding where everyone is comming from,feeling their pain and everything else they might feel.i have stepped out of my own little world ,interlinking myself to everyone and being a part of this complex web of this complex world. i... understand.

[@dudepal187]

When you look your enemy in the eye and feel that hatred and frustration yet still have the humility and audacity to say "I understand you," I think the implications there are limitless. Definitely one of my favorite tedtalks.

[@nguyentuandangkhoi]

This made me cry...

[@Tolstoievsky]

as a "becoming" sociologist myself i can completely relate to what he is saying about empathy. it's really a wonderful tool

[@sanssleep]

Perhaps the most important talk I have ever listened to....SHARING this with all my FB friends, this is EXACTLY what social media is all about...lets change the world good people.

[@baishihua]

Perhaps a lot of people don't get the point of his presentation, firstly it is really just a thought experiment so the conditions he described about middle east don't have to be true, they are just need to be convenient and lucid to help constructing the experiment to get his point across(of course I still get it if people are offended as you know, empathy :) ). Also the point of this talk is as he's said "if you can step in the shoes of those terrorists even for a tiny inch, you can have so much more empathy and understanding towards everyday matters and people around you". And to me that is a positive message.

[@ErichoTTA]

One of my favorite TEDtalks. It's about time someone stood up for the good religious people.

[@tomcen]

this is a powerful speech.

[@098anne]

Great exercise! Something else it leads to if taken to the imaginative mile is that we are all one and connected. War against anyone is war against self in the end. Understanding is how to get past the trap.

[@EllaABo]

This is brilliant and inspirational. Thank you so much.

[@MonkeyRecords]

Every American should watch this talk.

[@nigelsenchez]

The intellectuals of the enlightenment felt themselves to be a part of a great movement representing the highest aspirations and possibilities of mankind.They where reformers who believed their cause was best served by the new passion for argument, criticism and debate.

[@BlowDevilUp]

This is what I'm talking about. Thank you TEDTalksDirector you are on the pulse of the world. Bravo Sam Richards! Bravo! Well Said!

[@Orygyn]

TED is on a roll today.

[@weaskun]

Mr Richards, your students are lucky to have you.

[@gadzometer]

Holy crap.. finally!!!!!! Some perspective. Thankyou TED. This should get the Talk of the year.

[@dunnobutwayne]

every kid in school on college should watch this

[@tecnoblix]

Man this is powerful! Please keep talking!

[@royohz]

@matrixinterface I said none of the kind. I was raised a protestant Christian, and have found to take distance from them, that's why I say I am glad to not be generalized with them. Moral is individual and yet so very environmental/cultural. That's what I'm saying. Being selfish is human nature, but it's not an excuse.

[@NwZ2]

@Aslapacrosstheface actually its absolutely necessary because there *are* people who think like that and their perspective *needs* to be understood, as its part of the broader analysis.

[@tintiringa]

I wonder how many Americans would be capable of understanding the video. "imagine going outside and seeing a tank....and KNOWING EXACTLY why it's there." He had me there. Yes, I understand the rage. I've always been sympathetic, but now I think I understand, a little.

[@liquidminds]

he's right, but I found it much easier to get to that point by thinking about how others might see my actions. That helped me alot beeing able to understand others, creating that network in mind, that explains the world a lot better than boxed thinking. But everything has it's bad sides... Now I have to answer every question with "it's complicated"....

[@Arghira]

TED I love the buzz...is very professional

[@HamsterPants522]

Everybody should practice this. Sure most Americans don't care, but some do! And those of us who do care should not be afraid to encourage empathy among other people.

[@linux750]

@sirspiff i think the angst and negative emotion is that is coming from him is his natural reaction to the task he has given himself in this presentation. He knows he is trying desperately to make contented individuals empathize with an unpopular group of people, but he fears too many people might reject his message.

[@andrewrossburgess]

This video has really got me thinking. In my martial arts we train for development of character and we take on aspects of the way of the zen buddhist. A buddhist will kill if nessecary to defend himself but holds no grudges. The thought of human suffering is unbearable to him and he does not love his mother/father any more than a complete stranger. I realise that I can still improve my own character and this video is something i shall take on board and seek to develop a better understanding of

[@Nephtys80]

@stainglassfox I agree that the lesson is valuable, it's the delivery that feels patronising to me: you can do this exercise and convey a concept that may be new to people but still address them as adults.

[@Jotto999]

@CrimsonRefractions Not just what we interact with, of course. But yes, we are. It is useful to note how dependent we are on what we've been expose to (or haven't been) in who we are. I did not say we do not add new things, where did you get that from? I never said that. We assimilate the information, but every time we, say, say something to another person, we give some to them. Not sure where you went with that...

[@chuchaichu]

Wow, almost unthinkable that some people actually need a TED Talk to learn how to do this kind of thought experiment. I miss those day when I thought this is what people do automatically when watching news.

[@ktmg6]

I was born in a foreign country, but moved to the US when I was barely a month old. So basically, I've been a US citizen my whole life. And I must say, this video is dead on. All those bashing this video and its ideas are truly ignorant or are misinterpreting the video. You see, terrorists don't see themselves as terrorists. They see themselves as defenders of their country. You have to put yourself into the shoes of the average "infidel." He has people who care for him. Think about it.

[@winstonsmith478]

"Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.” Captain G. M. Gilbert, U.S. Army psychologist at the Nuremberg trails

[@Shelbzism]

Ideas spread not based on merit but on how easy they are to understand and how the make the thinker feel.

[@grayxy]

Great lecture. Respect.

[@TheCbear11]

He used this example bc it is so powerful and strikes a nerve in both the Muslim and Christian worlds. I think there are some Important things to take away because lack Of understanding the other side is what contributes to these conflicts and both Sides should be held accountable.

[@RedOrangeSystem]

Great speech.

[@dismutased]

I don't have to step outside of my own (western, non American) shoes to see the strangeness and scariness of the American war movement and it's strong ties with Christianity. But it's always heartening to see Americans doing it. :)

[@hokiehoorah]

Very powerful- thank you sir!

[@DannyHonan]

@mikesomething I'm thinking you missed the point of the video

[@devilscry01]

Very few TED talks have made me feel true sadness like this. This more than did it.

[@barrywilliamsmb]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@liquidminds]

@Nannirk It's not about religion or nationality. Whenever greedy people meet they find a way to form a group and exploit the others. If that group is formed nationally, through religion or simply by the wish to make money, doesn't really make a difference. In the end it isn't more than a label on a group of people damaging others because they believe it makes them more important.

[@HolyBmXfReAk2]

This is why I love TED. Mind Fucking Blown.

[@theorygeek00]

beautiful stuff

[@ur.cristiiano.o]

Great talk man! keep it up !!

[@RaymondBurton]

Powerful.

[@daw329]

@jgbloyd part of the problem is that people tend to be short-sighted or have no, or else narrow vision

[@TylerN1993]

I nearly felt like crying by the end of that, and I'm from New Zealand.

[@royohz]

@matrixinterface Yup, I'll be more cautious from now on. I'm glad you understand and that this didn't turn into a flame war.

[@Bfavrestarr415]

This was amazing!!

[@SrRulao]

Why so many dislikes? Do so many people believe that humanity will be able to coexist without having to understand each other?

[@gulllars]

@samuelmichaud to expand on the court analogy. God being guilty of existing is Theism, not guilty is Atheism (or what you called agnosticism), and innocent is anti-theism (what you thought of as atheism). The burden of proof is on the prosecutor to prove god is guilty of existing, as he is the one that made the positive claim. Theists constantly try to shift the burden of proof for the atheists or anti-theists to disprove gods existence (innocent). Skeptic atheists are content with "not guilty".

[@RoZZ92]

This should be spread. Ironically i'm doing this to my girlfriend, but she rejects it still living in her own shoes. Almost every teenage girl is living in their own shoes, i encourage you, go try figure it out.

[@Jotto999]

@CrimsonRefractions I don't see a relevant distinction between external and internal (neural) circumstances. All the knowledge I have is a circumstantial result of what my brain has assimilated, even if these days we have more of that to work with. Arguably, it became no less circumstantial just because the difference is inside my skull or not. So when I said "products of circumstances" I was being very broad about that, and I really did mean everything, even internal things.

[@playyiee]

thank u

[@ddnguyen278]

@theiliad2000x Last reply, I wasn't addressing that point. The point i was addressing was your assertion that NO ONE could stop the US if it wanted to commit genocide. I pointed out several countries who if came too it could stop the US, and the more likely scenario of military alliances with nuclear countries which will curtail predatory behavior by the US if it ever came too that.. So it wouldn't matter about moral evolution of countries, since nuclear alliances enforces a morality on it own

[@8legsFreak]

Brilliant!

[@basilbaker9]

Brilliant exercise. The dialectic method at its finest!

[@excitedsynapses]

Empathy = Understanding Understanding > Ignorance

[@Raziel_Knight]

Great TED Talk!

[@djamorpheus]

@opptynox Right but the point of the talk was that people can change their way of thinking and instead of pursuing what the government and the media in turn tells them to, sympathize with the other side, and change/understanding would ensue. Maybe we're arguing the same thing. You need to be clearer on your point. I agree though that democracy needs to be protected, but the so called "democratic" country that is the US doesn't do what it says. I'm referring to the government.

[@jarogehotmail]

@grudgydiablo i am actually a libertarian, and your brilliant response pretty much says everything anyone needs to know about you! I dont play the partisan games like you, i prefer facts and reality......

[@royohz]

@Arghira You see I was raised a protestant Christian, and have found it rewarding to take distance from it. He did mention the "Christian crusading", that's why I said that. I meant no offense.

[@louiseegan4180]

wonderful

[@TheGoldenKing20]

@JexiesGhost Again, I'm not gonna stop posting until you give up, but I might take a break though to do other things. As for you staying up longer, you know what? I actually believe you on that, not having life and not having to dispense any energy at all for any purpose except well, shit like this...

[@caseyforever]

I WISH THIS VIDEO HAD COME OUT 8 YEARS SOONER. Amazing. i feel like i've been saying this all along and 8 years ago people would throw empty patriotic dribble at me to defend themselves from actually having to look at or understand what our military is doing internationally.

[@saerain]

As well presented as this is, I have a hard time imagining that these are new thought experiments to many people.

[@TheGoldenKing20]

@JexiesGhost You know something? In a lot of discussions I've had in the past, one of the last things my opponents always did was start to claim victory RIGHT BEFORE their will broke and they fled with their tail between their legs.

[@Shelbzism]

@PUMKINMANforever Yes there is. It offers some spiritual guidance (although misdirected) and a strong community. The only way religious people become non-religious is through empathy; their own personal internalization of new ideas/values/perspectives.

[@TheNerdygrrlx]

Beautiful! Thank you!

[@abnerj88]

@MrStudent14 the fact remains that, we live in an age where we tend to take the authority as the truth instead of the truth as the authority. And even if you're talking about reading the quran, I still think that either way it wont change that much. People tend to take things in all these holy books too literally most of the time.

[@TheGodlessGuitarist]

@MTAllenby Conjecture is fine so long as it is the scientific/mathematic definition of conjecture, rather than the common language useage which means 'little more than an educated guess at best'

[@heltok]

Watch 0:00 to 3:40, the rest is just repeating to get the point through.

[@jonxjquee]

it's way to depressing to think about what people do to eachother without thinking about these things

[@DaBrainFarts]

History is written by the victor.

[@DaBrainFarts]

Which, depending on society and the government at the time, could be the most dangerous thing you could do.

[@dryan2259]

It's even more difficult to have empathy for the natural habitats, species, and aboriginal peoples that are being decimated, killed, and diseased through oil (and other natural resource) exploitation. Living sustainably is about living with empathy. It's about the reciprocity and connectivity between ourselves and everything outside ourselves. And the boomerang time is getting shorter and shorter every year.

[@dryan2259]

@AmalgamOfMeat Nothing wrong with being annoyed with how someone speaks. I work with a guy who irritates the hell out of me with how he communicates, but he's smart as hell.

[@Ko252]

I like his point, but he isnt totally right. He is understanding everything as the person he is. It is impossible to understand how everybody else thinks. But I agree, one should have a perspective.

[@EclecticSceptic]

@MarkArandjus You mean 'pit' not 'bid'. Sorry, I'm not trying to show you up, just noting the little typo.

[@gulllars]

@samuelmichaud also, part 2. Agnosticism = A-gnosticism. Check out gnosticism on wiki. In colloquial use, it refers to knowing with certainty. As almost all skeptics refrain from saying they know things for certain, most could be considered agnostics, however in colloquial use agnostics are thougt of as people who say "you may be right, you may be wrong, i don't know" while atheists say "there is insufficient proof, therefore i will not believe", and is more typical of skeptics.

[@SikhiArt]

@mikesomething You mean empathy all the way! whether you are atheist, muslim, christian, hindu, jew, sikh

[@Neanderthalcouzin]

amazing

[@jemmre]

@jonathanbluestein, Empathy can allow you to see that hate, blame and violence are all a direct result of a real or perceived threat or harm inflicted on oneself, ones family, friends or country. I empathize with you not being able to empathize with the "enemy". Because this allows you to go on hating, blaming and supporting violence in the name of "security". If you stopped and tried to understand their situation you might see that hate, blame and violence destroys your ability to empathize.

[@TheGodlessGuitarist]

@MTAllenby "The aim here is ... to try and empathically see the world through someone else's eyes" Did I somehow indicate that I failed to understand that? "Once we understand ... our ability to respond effectively to behaviour we don't like is greatly increased" I totally agree. I am very sympathetic to the plight of the Muslim world under the military and economic tyranny of the US. I might even go as far as saying I understand Middle East sentiments over 9/11

[@nueinx08]

@CrimsonRefractions I think you missed the point man. I have to admit this was a tough video for me to watch as a military vet of OIF, but he raises valid points. It's not about the absolute value of having control of the oil, but about the perceptions of what it will bring. Consider the argument that goes on in America about how "illegal aliens are taking all the jobs!" [extended above]

[@TheGoldenKing20]

@JexiesGhost Economics 101: no matter how big you are, as a freemarket society, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make your consumers 'irrelevant'.

[@Pianofy]

@KatDilan It is a message worth repeating

[@hotkonto]

I believe very few Americans understood the essence of your message. They just don't have the tools required.

[@MidgarZolom]

@MillionIT Number one fallacy that anyone makes in understanding others is placing too much emphasis on cultural/regional differences and not realizing that people of the world operate primarily as humans. We all have the same basic emotions, which are triggered for precisely the same reasons, and our emotions are the ultimate determiner of our actions.

[@DontTouchMyCroissant]

I'm an Iraqi and I just listened to what I'm thinking according to this guy, and apparently I'm an idiot.

[@carefulcarpenter]

Not for the oil directly -- 1. Remove cheap crude from the world market to enable market control. 2. Petrol-dollar. 3. Protection of reserve currency 4. Control of Middle East

[@AKNigel]

I like that he brought up the topic, because it's important. The presentation was confusing though. He really should've conveyed empathy in more direct, gutteral ways. like stating death statistics of non-combatants being ~9/10 of all deaths. Or the crippling sanctions of the decade prior being credited for the preventable deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children. He also should've took the thought experiment further: "Don't you feel like indiscriminately killing Sunis (or Shiias) now? "

[@Terrible_Peril]

@IaoGawd kissinger was quoted [from memory, on my part] as saying 'america has no friends, only interests'. a leading political scientist says that international affairs function largely like the mafia. a cursory glance seems to confirm this. once that's internalized, and you keep a finger on the pulse of money exchanges with politicians and businessmen and between governments, it gets a little clearer as to what's going on.

[@liquidminds]

@Nannirk It might. Only history will show if it will. Humanity is capable of surprises. And eventhough I doubt it, the chance still exists.

[@Ghazzawi9]

@austpom333 9/11's reaction was the war in Afghanistan. Iraq was completely unrelated to 9/11.

[@plebshadowofra]

Love thy neighbour, novel thought.

[@RantKid]

how are there 113 dislikes? are there really people disagreeing with this? How can that be so? Also, 58,000 views isnt enough.

[@MonikaWoodstraveler]

You have to watch the whole thing. The guy never said he believed everything he said, but it is enough to cause anti-American sentiment. It does concern me.

[@channel403]

Sam Richards known as professor!!! is telling us we need to be in the shoes of terrorists who beheaded people and raped women because they are not Muslims.He forgot when USA army bombed serbian Christians in Yugoslavia to protect Muslims in Bosnia. He forgot why USA army went to middle east? not to spread Christianity but to protect Saudi Muslims and their oils during Sadam Houssin's war against Kuwait that means to protect Saudi arabia specially the muslims' holy places as al kaaba where Muslims pray but not against them .after this video I dislike empathy.