Dr. Rick Hanson

And if we didn't care about them, if they did not matter to us, they would throw us out of the band, right? We didn't have to learn. obviously, to care about 330 other million Americans, let's say, or 8 billion other humans on the planet. So compassion is a very powerful way to reestablish that circle of caring at wider and larger scale. So compassion is really central to that.

And if we didn't care about them, if they did not matter to us, they would throw us out of the band, right? We didn't have to learn. obviously, to care about 330 other million Americans, let's say, or 8 billion other humans on the planet. So compassion is a very powerful way to reestablish that circle of caring at wider and larger scale. So compassion is really central to that.

And as part of it, if you're with someone and they're basically saying, essentially, I'm not going to have compassion for you, I'm not interested in it. I'm not going to go there. Your suffering is irrelevant to me. And in fact, I might be deliberately creating suffering for you for my own purposes. Obviously, that tells you, you don't matter to that person.

And as part of it, if you're with someone and they're basically saying, essentially, I'm not going to have compassion for you, I'm not interested in it. I'm not going to go there. Your suffering is irrelevant to me. And in fact, I might be deliberately creating suffering for you for my own purposes. Obviously, that tells you, you don't matter to that person.

And as part of it, if you're with someone and they're basically saying, essentially, I'm not going to have compassion for you, I'm not interested in it. I'm not going to go there. Your suffering is irrelevant to me. And in fact, I might be deliberately creating suffering for you for my own purposes. Obviously, that tells you, you don't matter to that person.

If they're not prepared to have compassion for you, you don't matter. Flip the other way. If people can sense in you that your heart is closed, they know they don't matter to you. So compassion is absolutely central.

If they're not prepared to have compassion for you, you don't matter. Flip the other way. If people can sense in you that your heart is closed, they know they don't matter to you. So compassion is absolutely central.

If they're not prepared to have compassion for you, you don't matter. Flip the other way. If people can sense in you that your heart is closed, they know they don't matter to you. So compassion is absolutely central.

Yeah. And their needs matter and you have a solution for their problem.

Yeah. And their needs matter and you have a solution for their problem.

Yeah. And their needs matter and you have a solution for their problem.

Oh, I agree with all that. And to be clear, my own background, I have a business background and I have a business. So for me, I'm very realistic about this. It's also, though, really important to avoid, there's a term in Buddhism, near enemy. It's the idea that there are these ways of being that are close to something valuable, but not really yet.

Oh, I agree with all that. And to be clear, my own background, I have a business background and I have a business. So for me, I'm very realistic about this. It's also, though, really important to avoid, there's a term in Buddhism, near enemy. It's the idea that there are these ways of being that are close to something valuable, but not really yet.

Oh, I agree with all that. And to be clear, my own background, I have a business background and I have a business. So for me, I'm very realistic about this. It's also, though, really important to avoid, there's a term in Buddhism, near enemy. It's the idea that there are these ways of being that are close to something valuable, but not really yet.

And because they're close to it, people sometimes just go into those things as a way to avoid what they really could do. For example, let's see here. Compassion. A near enemy of compassion would be something like superior pity. It's like compassion. But it's not really it.

And because they're close to it, people sometimes just go into those things as a way to avoid what they really could do. For example, let's see here. Compassion. A near enemy of compassion would be something like superior pity. It's like compassion. But it's not really it.

And because they're close to it, people sometimes just go into those things as a way to avoid what they really could do. For example, let's see here. Compassion. A near enemy of compassion would be something like superior pity. It's like compassion. But it's not really it.

And another one, equanimity, a fundamental core of emotional stability, a near enemy would be something like indifference or apathy. And I think it's important because to watch out for people who act like they care about you. I grew up in LA around movie business and stuff, entertainment world. And if you have a hundred best friends, you don't have any real friends. The phoniness of pseudo-caring.

And another one, equanimity, a fundamental core of emotional stability, a near enemy would be something like indifference or apathy. And I think it's important because to watch out for people who act like they care about you. I grew up in LA around movie business and stuff, entertainment world. And if you have a hundred best friends, you don't have any real friends. The phoniness of pseudo-caring.

And another one, equanimity, a fundamental core of emotional stability, a near enemy would be something like indifference or apathy. And I think it's important because to watch out for people who act like they care about you. I grew up in LA around movie business and stuff, entertainment world. And if you have a hundred best friends, you don't have any real friends. The phoniness of pseudo-caring.