Humans take pride in solving problems.
Better products and better solutions mean a better life. Intelligence is considered the fuel that propels humanity forward. After all intelligence is what makes us different from other animals. If you are not intelligent (and that includes creativity) you will be considered a failure.
Why is our society obsessed with intelligence?
It creates science and technology which is used to amplify our human emotions, whether positive or negative. Progress, fueled by intelligence as a single driving force only, is like driving a car without GPS. There is no guidance system that will take humanity to a better place. Just having better and faster iPads and HDTVs will not help humanity.
Our human mind is capable of more than just intelligent problem solving. It has a capacity to feel empathy (driven by mirror neurons) for other living things around it. Compassion is the untapped potential of the human mind that can be effectively used to solve our problems. Our world is plagued with problems that can not be solved by intelligence alone.
We need more compassion in this world.
I would like to imagine a different world. A world where we give as much importance to compassion as we do to intelligence. How would that world look like ? Lets imagine it together.
In this world, compassion is considered a skill that can be developed similar to our analytical skills.
Compassion Quotient (CQ) will be invented to quantify the level of compassion in an individual. Psychology departments would create better and accurate ways to quantify and improve compassion.
When a new baby is born, parents will make their babies more compassionate by showing them pictures of compassionate people and telling them stories that will inspire kindness. Parents would become more curious and excited to find out their children’s CQs.
Parents will purchase “Baby Dalai Lama” toys along with “Baby Einstein” toys for their kids.
Schools will test their students on compassion and report to parents if they find a low CQ.
Financial sectors will update their rating systems and rate companies on their compassion, socially responsible business practices and profitability.
Compassion Deficiency Syndrome (CDS) will be treated just like other disorders that affects people’s lives, such as alcoholism or depression. Patients will enroll into CD clinics to improve their compassion levels.
It is time for us to take compassion seriously in every aspect of our lives. We want to free it from the shackles of religion and view it as a necessary human skill. Let’s do it together and start now, compassionately.