Why do we choose one cause over another? | Annabelle Woghiren | TEDxBrighton

Key Concepts

• Hierarchy of empathy/relevance/urgency: The tendency to rank social issues based on personal experiences and knowledge.
• Dehumanization: The process of perceiving individuals or groups as less than human, often leading to indifference or mistreatment.
• Radical empathy: The conscious decision to extend care and understanding to those whose experiences are different from one's own, even when it's uncomfortable.
• Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

The Urge to Rank Injustice

The speaker begins by asking the audience to consider their top three most urgent causes, acknowledging the importance of addressing social issues and oppression. However, she challenges the audience to examine why they chose those specific causes and what didn't make their list. This highlights the human tendency to rank injustices, creating a hierarchy of relevance, urgency, and empathy. This urge is not just personal but also historical and systemic, mirroring colonialism and capitalism, which promote competition and scarcity.

Dehumanization and Selective Care

The speaker illustrates dehumanization with a story of a police officer mistreating a homeless man. Neuroscience research is cited, showing that when people view images of the homeless, the brain areas associated with recognizing other people often remain inactive. Instead, the brain activates areas associated with inanimate objects. This demonstrates how easily we can dehumanize those whose existence is unfamiliar, leading to reactive, competitive, and selective care. The speaker calls attention to the dehumanization of those facing war, displacement, and genocide in places like Congo, Palestine, and Sudan.

Radical Empathy as a Tool for Connection

The speaker introduces radical empathy as a tool to combat dehumanization and build bridges of understanding. Radical empathy is not about relating to someone else's experience but about choosing to care despite the lack of personal connection. It involves expanding one's capacity for care beyond the limits of identity and experience. While intersectionality reveals how identities overlap, radical empathy uses these identities to connect people across differences and compel action.

Actionable Steps and the Power of Pausing

The speaker acknowledges the audience's desire for actionable steps to build radical empathy but refrains from providing a simple checklist. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of pausing and reflecting when one feels disassociating or disconnecting from someone else's struggle. This involves asking oneself why the disassociation is occurring, why something feels unfamiliar, and what can be done to familiarize oneself with it. The speaker emphasizes that the next generation is watching and modeling a type of care that is radical, restless, and extends to all, without ranking causes as more worthy than others.

Notable Quotes

• "Urgency looks different for everyone. It's shaped by our experiences. It's molded by our identities. And it is informed by our knowledge."
• "Radical empathy isn't about saying I relate to this or I experience this and so I care. But it is about saying I don't relate to this or experience this but I will reach beyond myself and choose to care."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The speaker challenges the audience to confront their inherent biases in prioritizing social issues and to actively combat dehumanization through the practice of radical empathy. By pausing to reflect on their disconnections and actively seeking to understand unfamiliar experiences, individuals can cultivate a more inclusive and equitable approach to care, fostering a world where all struggles are recognized and valued.