Stanford University researcher Jamil Zaki is currently featured on Hidden Brain as the program explores the limits and applications of empathy in modern society. Shankar Vedantam introduces him as the author of The War for Kindness, noting that “Jamil Zaki is the author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World. He conducts research on empathy at Stanford University.”
The conversation focuses on the tension between our increasingly solitary lives and the human need for connection. Shankar Vedantam prompts Jamil Zaki to address whether modern living conditions are eroding our social fabric, asking, “I asked Jamil whether there's a link between going solo and the amount of empathy we feel for others.”
Beyond social trends, the show examines the practical application of Jamil Zaki’s research in high-stress environments like law enforcement. Shankar Vedantam challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding kindness, specifically quoting the researcher’s work with police officers: “tell me about how sometimes the right recommendation might actually be to tell people, 'Behave a little less empathetically.'”
