in 1950 Albert Einstein wrote a remarkable letter that was later printed
remarkable letter that was later printed
remarkable letter that was later printed in the New York Times and in it he
in the New York Times and in it he
in the New York Times and in it he argued that we all live in a kind of
argued that we all live in a kind of
argued that we all live in a kind of prison of restricted emotion and
prison of restricted emotion and
prison of restricted emotion and affection for the few people that are
affection for the few people that are
affection for the few people that are closest to us and the challenge for us
closest to us and the challenge for us
closest to us and the challenge for us he argued is that we need to widen our
he argued is that we need to widen our
he argued is that we need to widen our circle of compassion and this is not a
circle of compassion and this is not a
circle of compassion and this is not a new idea we can find it in many of the
new idea we can find it in many of the
new idea we can find it in many of the world’s religions and also we can go
world’s religions and also we can go
world’s religions and also we can go back to the Stoics and the very idea of
back to the Stoics and the very idea of
back to the Stoics and the very idea of cosmopolitanism came out this idea of
cosmopolitanism came out this idea of
cosmopolitanism came out this idea of concentric circles of the self
concentric circles of the self
concentric circles of the self family friends community the country and
family friends community the country and
family friends community the country and the world and the Stoics argued that we
the world and the Stoics argued that we
the world and the Stoics argued that we needed to bring everyone into our inner
needed to bring everyone into our inner
needed to bring everyone into our inner circle consider this these two girls I
circle consider this these two girls I
circle consider this these two girls I do not know their names but they live in
do not know their names but they live in
do not know their names but they live in Madagascar are they any less a human
Madagascar are they any less a human
Madagascar are they any less a human being than the person next year or the
being than the person next year or the
being than the person next year or the people who live down the street do they
people who live down the street do they
people who live down the street do they live in some kind of different moral
live in some kind of different moral
live in some kind of different moral universe where they are less deserving
universe where they are less deserving
universe where they are less deserving of our compassion or our assistance if
of our compassion or our assistance if
of our compassion or our assistance if they get sick or if they are
they get sick or if they are
they get sick or if they are malnourished or if they can’t afford to
malnourished or if they can’t afford to
malnourished or if they can’t afford to go to school these actually really hard
go to school these actually really hard
go to school these actually really hard questions that moral philosophers have
questions that moral philosophers have
questions that moral philosophers have been grappling with for decades if not
been grappling with for decades if not
been grappling with for decades if not centuries but most of us are not or
centuries but most of us are not or
centuries but most of us are not or would not consider ourselves moral
would not consider ourselves moral
would not consider ourselves moral philosophers and we are less likely to
philosophers and we are less likely to
philosophers and we are less likely to turn to the writings of Immanuel Kant
turn to the writings of Immanuel Kant
turn to the writings of Immanuel Kant than turn to the people next to us our
than turn to the people next to us our
than turn to the people next to us our friends and family and indeed that’s
friends and family and indeed that’s
friends and family and indeed that’s what I want to talk about today how does
what I want to talk about today how does
what I want to talk about today how does our inner circle our friends and family
our inner circle our friends and family
our inner circle our friends and family how do they influence how far our outer
how do they influence how far our outer
how do they influence how far our outer circle of compassion goes in June this
circle of compassion goes in June this
circle of compassion goes in June this year 2017 we as part of the aid
year 2017 we as part of the aid
year 2017 we as part of the aid attitudes tracker ran a survey and
attitudes tracker ran a survey and
attitudes tracker ran a survey and surveyed 8165 members of the British
surveyed 8165 members of the British
surveyed 8165 members of the British public in a nationally representative
public in a nationally representative
public in a nationally representative survey and asked them a series of
survey and asked them a series of
survey and asked them a series of questions about how they feel about
questions about how they feel about
questions about how they feel about global poverty and assisting distant
global poverty and assisting distant
global poverty and assisting distant others versus those who live closer and
others versus those who live closer and
others versus those who live closer and as you can see about 18% of the UK
as you can see about 18% of the UK
as you can see about 18% of the UK public said
public said
public said they were not very or not at all
they were not very or not at all
they were not very or not at all concerned about global poverty but 47%
concerned about global poverty but 47%
concerned about global poverty but 47% of the public are either fairly
of the public are either fairly
of the public are either fairly concerned or very concerned and we also
concerned or very concerned and we also
concerned or very concerned and we also know that this translates not perfectly
know that this translates not perfectly
know that this translates not perfectly but this does help predict how wide
but this does help predict how wide
but this does help predict how wide people feel like their circle of
people feel like their circle of
people feel like their circle of compassion should be whether we should
compassion should be whether we should
compassion should be whether we should exclusively focus on poverty here in the
exclusively focus on poverty here in the
exclusively focus on poverty here in the UK or whether we should try and find a
UK or whether we should try and find a
UK or whether we should try and find a balance of addressing poverty here and
balance of addressing poverty here and
balance of addressing poverty here and poverty overseas and the question is
poverty overseas and the question is
poverty overseas and the question is what difference does our social network
what difference does our social network
what difference does our social network our friends and family their opinions
our friends and family their opinions
our friends and family their opinions make to this relationship if anything so
make to this relationship if anything so
make to this relationship if anything so we ask people to name up to three others
we ask people to name up to three others
we ask people to name up to three others that they discuss the issue with since
that they discuss the issue with since
that they discuss the issue with since 2% of people said no one fair enough but
2% of people said no one fair enough but
2% of people said no one fair enough but 28% of people were able to name at least
28% of people were able to name at least
28% of people were able to name at least one other person that they talked about
one other person that they talked about
one other person that they talked about the issue with and just to be clear we
the issue with and just to be clear we
the issue with and just to be clear we said this could be positive or it could
said this could be positive or it could
said this could be positive or it could be negative and then we continue to ask
be negative and then we continue to ask
be negative and then we continue to ask them a whole series of questions about
them a whole series of questions about
them a whole series of questions about these other people that they discuss the
these other people that they discuss the
these other people that they discuss the issue with so what is their gender what
issue with so what is their gender what
issue with so what is their gender what is their age what is their ethnicity
is their age what is their ethnicity
is their age what is their ethnicity what is their level of concern about
what is their level of concern about
what is their level of concern about global poverty where do they sit on the
global poverty where do they sit on the
global poverty where do they sit on the left-right political scale and finally
left-right political scale and finally
left-right political scale and finally which of your connections these other
which of your connections these other
which of your connections these other people are most likely to influence your
people are most likely to influence your
people are most likely to influence your own opinion and on that last question
own opinion and on that last question
own opinion and on that last question this is what we found friends were most
this is what we found friends were most
this is what we found friends were most frequently mentioned as a source of
frequently mentioned as a source of
frequently mentioned as a source of influence over people’s own attitudes
influence over people’s own attitudes
influence over people’s own attitudes and views about global poverty but the
and views about global poverty but the
and views about global poverty but the people that were ranked first most
people that were ranked first most
people that were ranked first most consistently were our spouses or
consistently were our spouses or
consistently were our spouses or partners now this varies according to
partners now this varies according to
partners now this varies according to different groups within the population
different groups within the population
different groups within the population so younger people are much more likely
so younger people are much more likely
so younger people are much more likely to mention their parents older people
to mention their parents older people
to mention their parents older people much more likely to mention their
much more likely to mention their
much more likely to mention their children and men are much more likely
children and men are much more likely
children and men are much more likely than women to mention friends or work
than women to mention friends or work
than women to mention friends or work colleagues and women are much more
colleagues and women are much more
colleagues and women are much more likely to talk about the members of
likely to talk about the members of
likely to talk about the members of their family so this is what we can then
their family so this is what we can then
their family so this is what we can then do with the data that we collected for
do with the data that we collected for
do with the data that we collected for each one of our respondents in the
each one of our respondents in the
each one of our respondents in the survey we can build a mini social
survey we can build a mini social
survey we can build a mini social network around them that shows their
network around them that shows their
network around them that shows their connections and whether they are similar
connections and whether they are similar
connections and whether they are similar to them in terms of their gender their
to them in terms of their gender their
to them in terms of their gender their age maybe their attitudes or whether
age maybe their attitudes or whether
age maybe their attitudes or whether they are they are very different and so
they are they are very different and so
they are they are very different and so for each purse
for each purse
for each purse we can assign a score for each
we can assign a score for each
we can assign a score for each characteristic say how diverse their
characteristic say how diverse their
characteristic say how diverse their network is and we can use that score to
network is and we can use that score to
network is and we can use that score to describe the population or we can use
describe the population or we can use
describe the population or we can use that score to help explain and to
that score to help explain and to
that score to help explain and to estimate the influence that it has on
estimate the influence that it has on
estimate the influence that it has on their circle of compassion and whether
their circle of compassion and whether
their circle of compassion and whether it makes it wider or smaller so purely
it makes it wider or smaller so purely
it makes it wider or smaller so purely descriptively
descriptively
descriptively here’s what we found so first of all
here’s what we found so first of all
here’s what we found so first of all women’s social circles are 17 percent
women’s social circles are 17 percent
women’s social circles are 17 percent larger than men that women are much more
larger than men that women are much more
larger than men that women are much more likely to discuss the issue with other
likely to discuss the issue with other
likely to discuss the issue with other men with the man sorry the men are with
men with the man sorry the men are with
men with the man sorry the men are with women and it turns out that that matters
women and it turns out that that matters
women and it turns out that that matters we also find that in terms of diversity
we also find that in terms of diversity
we also find that in terms of diversity people are most likely to have age
people are most likely to have age
people are most likely to have age diverse networks then gender diverse
diverse networks then gender diverse
diverse networks then gender diverse networks before they are going to likely
networks before they are going to likely
networks before they are going to likely to have diversity in terms of the
to have diversity in terms of the
to have diversity in terms of the opinions of other people that they speak
opinions of other people that they speak
opinions of other people that they speak with we are least likely to see earth
with we are least likely to see earth
with we are least likely to see earth nicly diverse networks within the
nicly diverse networks within the
nicly diverse networks within the British public
British public
British public another thing we found was those within
another thing we found was those within
another thing we found was those within the age group of 40 to 59 are the people
the age group of 40 to 59 are the people
the age group of 40 to 59 are the people who are most likely to only speak to
who are most likely to only speak to
who are most likely to only speak to other people who share the same opinions
other people who share the same opinions
other people who share the same opinions as themselves so if any of you know
as themselves so if any of you know
as themselves so if any of you know someone who’s about to turn 40 then wish
someone who’s about to turn 40 then wish
someone who’s about to turn 40 then wish them luck because they’re about to enter
them luck because they’re about to enter
them luck because they’re about to enter into the most the biggest echo chamber
into the most the biggest echo chamber
into the most the biggest echo chamber of their of their life so far we also
of their of their life so far we also
of their of their life so far we also know that women are more concerned about
know that women are more concerned about
know that women are more concerned about global poverty than men are and those
global poverty than men are and those
global poverty than men are and those who are younger are more likely to be
who are younger are more likely to be
who are younger are more likely to be concerned that those who are older but
concerned that those who are older but
concerned that those who are older but how does all this matter to go back to
how does all this matter to go back to
how does all this matter to go back to the original question and to think about
the original question and to think about
the original question and to think about how these things influence how wide our
how these things influence how wide our
how these things influence how wide our circle of compassion is so first of all
circle of compassion is so first of all
circle of compassion is so first of all what widens our circle of compassion
what widens our circle of compassion
what widens our circle of compassion firstly your circle of compassion will
firstly your circle of compassion will
firstly your circle of compassion will be wider if you are concerned about
be wider if you are concerned about
be wider if you are concerned about global poverty that stands to reason we
global poverty that stands to reason we
global poverty that stands to reason we knew that already and it stands up and
knew that already and it stands up and
knew that already and it stands up and it holds your circle of compassion will
it holds your circle of compassion will
it holds your circle of compassion will also be wider if you are younger as
also be wider if you are younger as
also be wider if you are younger as opposed to being older but interestingly
opposed to being older but interestingly
opposed to being older but interestingly your circle of compassion will be wider
your circle of compassion will be wider
your circle of compassion will be wider if you are male than if you are female
if you are male than if you are female
if you are male than if you are female for any given level
for any given level
for any given level of concern so how do the social networks
of concern so how do the social networks
of concern so how do the social networks matter well firstly if you discuss the
matter well firstly if you discuss the
matter well firstly if you discuss the issue with a more giant gender diverse
issue with a more giant gender diverse
issue with a more giant gender diverse group so if you identify as female and
group so if you identify as female and
group so if you identify as female and you speak with men or males and or vice
you speak with men or males and or vice
you speak with men or males and or vice versa you are more likely to have a
versa you are more likely to have a
versa you are more likely to have a wider circle of compassion and we might
wider circle of compassion and we might
wider circle of compassion and we might want to think about different
want to think about different
want to think about different sociological explanations of why this
sociological explanations of why this
sociological explanations of why this might be may be its openness to
might be may be its openness to
might be may be its openness to diversity different views of compassion
diversity different views of compassion
diversity different views of compassion etc expands our horizons I have a friend
etc expands our horizons I have a friend
etc expands our horizons I have a friend he’s worked in global poverty for many
he’s worked in global poverty for many
he’s worked in global poverty for many many years very committed and he offered
many years very committed and he offered
many years very committed and he offered another more personal take on this and
another more personal take on this and
another more personal take on this and he said David I can tell you how I got
he said David I can tell you how I got
he said David I can tell you how I got into it there was the two girls I
into it there was the two girls I
into it there was the two girls I fancied the most and they joined Amnesty
fancied the most and they joined Amnesty
fancied the most and they joined Amnesty International so I joined Amnesty
International so I joined Amnesty
International so I joined Amnesty International too so there’s that but
International too so there’s that but
International too so there’s that but finally in terms of our attitudinal
finally in terms of our attitudinal
finally in terms of our attitudinal diversity if you speak with other people
diversity if you speak with other people
diversity if you speak with other people you have a lower level of concern about
you have a lower level of concern about
you have a lower level of concern about global poverty than you do it’s going to
global poverty than you do it’s going to
global poverty than you do it’s going to shrink your circle of compassion they
shrink your circle of compassion they
shrink your circle of compassion they affect your circle and vice versa if you
affect your circle and vice versa if you
affect your circle and vice versa if you have a low level of concern about global
have a low level of concern about global
have a low level of concern about global poverty but you are speaking with other
poverty but you are speaking with other
poverty but you are speaking with other people who have higher levels then your
people who have higher levels then your
people who have higher levels then your circle of compassion will expand and get
circle of compassion will expand and get
circle of compassion will expand and get larger so it matters who we speak to and
larger so it matters who we speak to and
larger so it matters who we speak to and what their attitudes are I spend my days
what their attitudes are I spend my days
what their attitudes are I spend my days researching in to why people get more or
researching in to why people get more or
researching in to why people get more or less engaged with global poverty or
less engaged with global poverty or
less engaged with global poverty or indeed one of the political drivers that
indeed one of the political drivers that
indeed one of the political drivers that help reduce poverty expand people’s
help reduce poverty expand people’s
help reduce poverty expand people’s freedoms and improve people’s life
freedoms and improve people’s life
freedoms and improve people’s life overseas but I totally accept that not
overseas but I totally accept that not
overseas but I totally accept that not everybody shares those priorities and
everybody shares those priorities and
everybody shares those priorities and that is absolutely fine but here’s the
that is absolutely fine but here’s the
that is absolutely fine but here’s the deal
deal
deal the late great Brian Clough was being
the late great Brian Clough was being
the late great Brian Clough was being interviewed by Michael Parkinson and
interviewed by Michael Parkinson and
interviewed by Michael Parkinson and Parkinson asking the question he said
Parkinson asking the question he said
Parkinson asking the question he said what do you do when one of your players
what do you do when one of your players
what do you do when one of your players disagrees with you and says boss I think
disagrees with you and says boss I think
disagrees with you and says boss I think you’re doing it wrong and cliff replied
you’re doing it wrong and cliff replied
you’re doing it wrong and cliff replied well I asked him how he thinks it should
well I asked him how he thinks it should
well I asked him how he thinks it should be done then we get down to it we talk
be done then we get down to it we talk
be done then we get down to it we talk for 20 minutes and then we decide I was
for 20 minutes and then we decide I was
for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right
right
right the good news is we are not all brian
the good news is we are not all brian
the good news is we are not all brian clough that we can and we do change our
clough that we can and we do change our
clough that we can and we do change our opinion about global poverty and how
opinion about global poverty and how
opinion about global poverty and how wide our circle of compassion should be
wide our circle of compassion should be
wide our circle of compassion should be and actually it’s the people our friends
and actually it’s the people our friends
and actually it’s the people our friends and family that we talk to that
and family that we talk to that
and family that we talk to that influence this and similarly in talking
influence this and similarly in talking
influence this and similarly in talking to our friends and family we can also
to our friends and family we can also
to our friends and family we can also influence their attitudes and their
influence their attitudes and their
influence their attitudes and their circle of compassion thank you
circle of compassion thank you
circle of compassion thank you [Applause]
”
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