Dacher Keltner, PhD, Matthieu Ricard, PhD and Michelle Shiota, PhD
Understanding Our Emotions and Our Potential for Goodness Panel Discussion
Who else would enjoy this summit?
About Dacher Keltner, PhD
About Matthieu Ricard, PhD
You can learn more about his work by visiting his website.
About Michelle Shiota, PhD
You can find out more about her research here.
About Eve Ekman, PhD
To learn more about her work you can visit the Atlas of Emotions, an online website for emotional awareness commissioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and co-created by Eve and Paul Ekman. You can also learn more about a contemplative science training for learning emotional balance that was founded by Alan Wallace and Paul Ekman and is currently lead by Eve Ekman and a global teacher network at Cultivating Emotion Balance.
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Poor reception. So far most time spinning waiting for the summit both for the introduction and sessions..
But sometimes I’m like “I am not understanting what is going on, I am feeling that I am not able to interpretate what is going on in here.” It is difficult to know if you are seeing things clearly or if you are “blind” by your thoughts.
Such an important concept-‘our relationship with our emotions’; we need explicit instruction in elementary schools to support students’ growing awareness of their emotions and the relationship each has with his or her emotion, bringing compassion to themselves. Thanks to Eve and GGSC for their generous work with Mindful Schools-I learned from Eve during my coursework. Your work directly with educators has an enormous ripple effect. I want to see mindfulness training in all elementary schools. Children need these tools.
Some tips to use in mediation sessions, to help parties in conflict to manage their high emotions?
My father’s wife kept him away from his kids for many years and called me inappropriate (curse) names in the presence of my children. my father has passed, so there is no future interaction.
I hate her, and feel badly that my father let her do this. How do I get rid of my hatred.
Que pena tendré que esperar los videos grabados con acceso a subtítulos para poder traducir al español ya que no domino el inglés.
Jaqueline, si presionas en el botón que dice CC aparece la posibilidad de ver los subtítulos en diferentes idiomas, entre ellos, español. Saludos!
I have an unmet need for feeling that I am loved (I am an old lady). I “know” that a few people do love me, but I cannot “feel” it. This colors my interaction with people. I know I need to be there, but my preconceived thinking destroys the interaction. I have had a lot of psychotherapy, to no avail.
Very deep and interesting. Very useful!
Dacher Keltner’s reference to states of awe, serving others reminded me of the Book of Joy.
Lani, I love your statement about “happiness isn’t the only thing that matters.” I have been saying that for years. Too much pressure on themselves.
Dr. Shiota’s observations about happiness of oneself and well bring of the greater good is a dynamic that has been evident during the pandemic. Vaccinated people, for example, take freedoms around unvaccinated people because they feel, first, that they are safe without thinking of others. This is done by good people, as it is also the way the vaccination process has been presented by leaders. In fact, vaccination is primarily for the common good of all of us, that the vaccine protects–so that there will be enough hospital beds for the vulnerable in particular.
I think the “my happiness is only thing that matters” started when people starting saying and practicing “It’s all about me” Too much today with “me me me” “Selfie” etc… I agree with all of you. “Misguided on Happiness” you are right on.
What do you think of ‘advertising’ your position (flags, yard signs, bumper stickers, printed clothing, etc) that is the opposite of your neighbors (some you know about, others you do not know).
I feel a tremendous CBT bent to a lot of the talk so far, as a clinician. One thing we are learning from trauma research is that CBT is not the most helpful lens. Saying “we can choose how we respond” is not entirely accurate. For many people who have experienced trauma, they simply do not have the space to be that reflective. We need to step further back, and find ways to allow them to develop the curiosity needed to be reflective.
One of my favorite thoughts from a recent training: trauma is a call to survival, reflection is a luxury.
Thank you, yes, trauma has forced me int
o sink or swim mode and the need for survival, even if the desire was not always there. The numbness after trauma takes time to wear off.
Thank you Stephen. As a somatic coach I noticed in the presentation a slight gap between trauma-informed speech and Dharma-informed practice. In most buddhist practice, contemplation hinges upon embodiment and the breath, therefore naturally attuning to the nervous system to produce increasing levels of self-regulation. Add to that a reframe of perception.. a letting go of our fixed concepts about reality to see the openness of impermanence..that this moment is a rippening effect of past conditioning but is not the truth. That ultimate reality is in this present spacious moment of possibility and can be different than the next one. So then choice begins with remembering the preciousness of lifeforce breath and choice continues in seeing correct view of reality..the creative compassionate malleabilty of Presence.. sensing into the safety inside the present moment..or taking refuge. I am hopeful they marry these two aspects more explicitly because truely this where freedom inside the somatics of emotion can be experienced.
I would love to engage in the discussion with “Misconception of Happiness” or “the pressure of being happy” Thanks!
I couldn’t thank you more for this event. Such great personalities to feed our souls… Amazing to see Dacher after doing The Science of Happiness 2 ys ago! Chance does not exist. Plus, Matthieu Ricard and the very Dali Lama to kick off the summit. What else can you ask for? Thanks so much from Argentina. Blessings to you all!!!
A well and enriching discussion going on personal happiness and it’s false consciousness. I am grateful.
I LOVED this conversation. Thank you all! It reminds me of the parable/story.
One day a man said to God, “God, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”
God showed the man two doors. Inside the first one, in the middle of the room, was a large round table with a large pot of vegetable stew. It smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water, but the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, “You have seen Hell.”
Behind the second door, the room appeared exactly the same. There was the large round table with the large pot of wonderful vegetable stew that made the man’s mouth water. The people had the same long-handled spoons, but they were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The man said, “I don’t understand.”
God smiled. It is simple, he said, Love only requires one skill. These people learned early on to share and feed one another. While the greedy only think of themselves…
Gratitude
Humility
Compassion
Empathy
Awareness
Appreciation
Curiosity
Joy
Energetic Connection
These bring me health and wellness and meaning and I love my life being about sharing that with others.
Love to you all,
Joseph Segal
The idea that we do not respond to “objective” events but to our interpretation of those events makes me think of the violence of 911. To deny that we respond to violence and trauma only as an interpretation of those events not only denies legitimate human suffering it leads to sociopathic evil.
Jodi Drinkwater, I’m feeling you. It seems to me that this notion that the good we see and experience in life is real and that the evil and violence we see and experience is somehow not real is a privilege that folks living with the real threat of violence in their lives on a daily basis do not have. What I would like to learn is what on earth to do about the rough stuff of life other than dismiss it as somehow not real. Dead bodies whether from a virus or a bullet are dead bodies.
I am thankful for the talks about beliefs on personal happiness and it’s misleading path to misery. Ignited!
What wonderful meeting…thank you so much for sharing your toughts….points of view and knowledge!!!
thank you. I have recently given into frustrated thoughts and shown anger when none was needed. WHERE LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING WOULD HAVE SERVED THE SITUATION MUCH BETER. THIS SESSION HAS GIVEN ME THE CHANCE TO REALLY LEARN FROM MY RESPONSE TO angry emotions. Thanks so much learning
wonderful reflextions!!!
What an awesome group. Great topics, each brought a perspective to the topics that was threaded and enlightening although different. I for one have always believed that every person has a seed of goodness in them. THis belief has helped me in situations when I was being robbed at gun point and also about to be robbed but the person changed their mind and we struck a conversation. That encounter changed his life because later on a saw him again and he was working, was clean and told me about how that day changed his life. Is there a transcript of this conference?
I am very happy to listen to such great people. Many thanks
Great dialogues, and as always, will be valuable for our improvement…. I was interested in the concepts, and as someone who feels that society has conditioned most of us to see our mind as “magnet” for negativity…. it is refreshing to hear about basic goodness, the notion of family (meaning everyone) and not letting any one behind, listening, “withnessing” all, and think about better community based/ social models focused on compassion, healing, wellbeing. Congrats.
wonderful presentatioin. Many thanks
Very informative. Thank you.
Wonderful panel! Reminded me to be aware of my interpretation of “bad” situations and ensure that I am being real about the issue and that I react appropriately. I control my emotions and I need to work on being constructive.
Loved this thanks🙇♀️
Left me thinking deeply about discovering the positive side of our negative emotions.
Loved the explanations by Ms Shiota about how important it is to acknowledge our anger and then that we can talk about it respectfully with our interlocutors to sort out difficult/uncomfortable situations.
A pleasure to listen to you all. TXS.
I have very fast internet but it keeps slowing down during the dialogue with Matthieu etc. Can you load your videos with less resolution or something so that it downloads easily. thank you
We thoroughly enjoyed the opening sessions, which provided a good overview of possibilities for overcoming destructive emotions by focusing on positive aspects of relationships and the inherent goodness of ourselves and others, as with family members. We’re looking forward to joining the remaining sessions. Thank you for organizing this inspiring and enlightening online program!
It was very important to me to hear them demonstrating the human potential for goodness. Thank you for this!
Awesome, thank you.
Fantastic dialogue on intention, motivation, and awareness. You are all so blest with great wisdom and altruism. Thank you, from the depths of my heart!
Thank you Eve and all the amazing presenters for sharing your kindness, humour and insight.
Great so far!
Beautiful and enriching talk. I loved that all of the presents gave practical advice for life. Thank you so much!
Fernanda.
I really related to what Dacher said about creating a new model of society. I also heard deeply what Michele said (I think it was her that mentioned it) about the mind construct. I would really like to work on my own mind construct and see a new model for this country-one that creates a better life for all, not only emotionally, but financially as well. Someday we, hopefully, will veer more towards a socialistic system in both constructs.
Awesome interchange of the highest ideas that may become achievable ideas for the present AND future generetaions.
A question about “inherent goodness” of humans. Perhaps we are capable of expressing goodness at times, and extreme evil at others.
I truly enjoyed all of the speakers. Thank you.
I really enjoyed the panel! Insightful, hopeful, inspiring! Thank you so much!
It was a great discovery to listen to Michelle Shiota. She is very clear about her knowledge. It was a great dialogue. Thank you very much.
deep and inspiring insights in discerning the complexity of our emotional body many thanks gratitude for your time and wisdom
Thank you for bringing this very important summit to us all and helping people to understand more about our state’s of emotion, which in turn give us more choice in each moment through noticing and choosing to not react within ourselves, but in allowing a pause to give more space around the emotion, then letting in understanding about what is going on in the situation and putting that into words and expressing it to others, who then also respond to this shift as well through resonance and a better feeling state together.
When this happens and there is a positive shared outcome and resolution to a situation….well there is no better collective feelIng than this. Wonderful to listen to you all talking on so many levels with a feeling of love and compassion for each other. Thank you all!
Agree with everything Michelle said except the blinding glorification of family. There is much derision and strife and downright betrayal in families today – and there are many who were left behind by their families. So, no, the security of family is not the answer many of us can look for.
Matthieu (whose name is unabashedly mispronounced) is a breath of fresh air, as always, while other speakers are IMO too academic. Live a little 🙂 .
Such deep gratitude to everyone. This is absolutely wonderful, and profoundly helpful. I wanted to reinforce what Matthieu pointed to….Many animals care for their injured and sick. They also care for animals who are not of their own species. I am wondering if, along these lines, there will be more discussion of this idea of family meaning no one is left behind, and how “no one” can be expanded to include all beings, all life, not just human beings? In other words, some elaboration on the reality that we are all kin, all part of the vast family of life, and deserving of compassion and kindness?
A beautiful session indeed, introducing is all to the idea that we are all “compassionate” at the core of our being. This resonates deeply with the Hindu concept our basic nature being “Sat-chit-ananda”, literally truth-consciousness-bliss…