Can “Outrospection” Stop Male Stress and Allow Us to Thrive in the 21st Century? 

Growing up I learned the value of introspection.  Quoting Shakespeare my parents taught me, “This above all else to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”  The 20^th century seemed to be focused on self-reliance and teaching people how to “know thyself.”  Timothy Leary told us to “tune in, turn on, and drop out.”  I became a psychotherapist wanting to help myself and others to “self-actualize.”

Though I feel good about my own life and I feel I’ve helped a lot of people deal with male stress and depression the world still seems stressed, depressed, and in a mess.  Some would have us believe that the world is populated by evil people and if we could just get rid of them, things would improve.

But maybe we need a different way of looking at things.   Research psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen says the problem isn’t evil, but erosion of empathy.  In his book, The Science of Evil:  On Empathy and the Origin of Cruelty, he says, “Empathy erosion can arise because of corrosive emotions, such as bitter resentment, or desire for revenge, or blind hatred, or even a desire to protect.”

Roman Krznaric is a cultural thinker and writer on the art of living.  He thinks that “Outrospection” may save the world.  “I believe that empathy – the imaginative act of stepping into another person’s shoes and viewing the world from their perspective – is a radical tool for social change and should be a guiding light for the art of living,” says Krznaric.  “Over the past decade, I have become convinced that it has the power not only to transform individual lives, but to help tackle some of the great problems of our age, from wealth inequality to violent conflicts and climate change.”

Kznaric invites us to JOIN THE EMPATHY REVOLUTION IN 5 EASY STEPS!  I’ve joined.  (Make sure you watch the 10 minute RSA Animate Video – I Promise it will enliven your day!) Check it out and tell me what you think.  

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