We're hard wired for empathy — and savage indifference
Sometimes, even the most inspirational among us share some disheartening traits with other animals.
Humans have a remarkable capacity for empathy and compassion. We help strangers a continent away, donate anonymously, bequeath money to help people who will be born after our deaths. We can even choose to make the ultimate sacrifice in helping others - just think of the West African nurses who died fighting Ebola. These admirable traits owe little to Sunday morning sermons, the rule of law or pillows embroidered with the Golden Rule. Instead, they're how we're wired; we see the rudiments in other species. Such behaviors are rooted in our common ancestry.
