Charles Darwin is famous for his discoveries in nature and evolution, but not well known for talking about compassion. However, in ‘On the descent of man’, he proposes that ‘sympathy’ – the behaviour we now call compassion – was a feature of flourishing communities. As usual he was way ahead of his time.
“In however complex a manner this feeling may have originated, as it is one of high importance to all those animals which aid and defend one another, it will have been increased through natural selection; for those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring.”
Compassion is now thought by scientists to be the key to happiness – along with empathy, gratitude and social connection.
Here at Human Nature we can help you practice compassion – and we do our coaching in nature to enhance the quality of the conversation.