Richie and Cort discuss The Most Important Thing in Episode #1 of Dharma Lab.

02:22 – "My religion is Kindness"

05:25 – Kindness is the most important thing — apply a "kindness acid test" to all you do

08:08 – How kindness and compassion have (or haven’t) been studied in neuroscience

12:44 – Defining "kindness" and "compassion" in scientific and Buddhist terms

18:55 – Changing your focus from empathy to compassion can reduce burnout

26:49 – Empathy vs. compassion: toddler study example

29:10 – Question for Cort: Is empathy a prerequisite for compassion?

32:23 – Question for Richie: Are kindness and compassion innate or developed?

36:30 – Using kindness as an antidote to anxiety or anger

41:36 – Kindness and compassion as a skill

44:30 – New data: Healthy Minds kindness trainings improve teacher outcomes

49:30 – Perspective shift: consider how your actions benefit others

56:13 – Switching from a “needs” to a “service” mindset

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dharmalabco.substack.com/subscribe