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Nov 25, 2007

"It is worth reminding ourselves that what brings us the greatest joy and satisfaction in life are those actions we undertake out of concern for others. Indeed we can go further. For whereas the fundamental questions of human existence, such as why we are here, where we are going, and whether the universe had a beginning, have each elicited different responses in different philosophical traditions, it is self-evident that a generous heart and wholesome actions lead to greater peace." --Dalai Lama

What Makes Us Moral?

We're a species that is capable of almost dumbfounding kindness. We nurse one another, romance one another, weep for one another. Ever since science taught us how, we willingly tear the very organs from our bodies and give them to one another. And at the same time, we slaughter one another. If the entire human species were a single individual, that person would long ago have been declared mad. The madness would lie in the fact that both of those qualities, the savage and the splendid, can exist in one creature, one person, often in one instant. Science is now learning what makes us both noble and terrible -- and perhaps what can make us better. Time Magazine explores further.