After decades teaching conflict resolution, I’ve seen our innate goodness repeatedly emerge. Given the right tools, people naturally seek understanding and connection—it’s already wired into our brains.
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Every day I see evidence that we’re wired for goodness.
In my decades training people in communication and conflict resolution, I’ve witnessed countless moments where human nature shines. The supervisor staying late to help a struggling employee. The team rallying around a colleague in crisis. Former adversaries finding common ground through honest conversation.
These aren’t exceptions to human behavior – they’re expressions of who we fundamentally are.
As I wrote in “A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind,” our capacity for empathy isn’t something we need to create; it’s something we need to uncover. The pathways already exist in our brains.
In my workshops, I see it constantly. Given the right tools and environment, people naturally gravitate toward understanding others. They want to resolve conflicts. They seek harmony. Not because they’re saints, but because connection feels better than division.
What’s fascinating is how people respond when practicing cognitive empathy – understanding another’s perspective without necessarily feeling their emotions. There’s often a visible release of tension, a softening. Something within recognizes this is how we’re meant to interact.
This is why I believe so deeply in practicing empathy daily. Not because we need to force ourselves to be better humans, but because we’re reconnecting with our true nature.
The world can make us skeptical about human goodness. But after witnessing thousands of interactions where kindness prevails when given the chance, I remain convinced: our default setting is generosity, not selfishness.
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