From: NPR
What Can a Tornado Teach Us About Kindness?
One evening back in May of 2011, tornado sirens went off in a small city in Southwestern Missouri called Joplin. Thousands of homes were destroyed in the tornado, about a third of the town’s 50,000 residents were displaced and around 160 people died.
And in the months following the tornado, the town became known not just for the destruction, but the kindness and cooperation that led to its recovery.
So how is it possible that people’s worst moments can lead them to think about others?
Scientists who have studied behavior after mass traumas say, disasters can spark an outpouring of kindness and form powerful bonds between strangers. Stanford Social psychologist Jamil Zaki actually has a term for this. He calls it catastrophe compassion.
Read the whole story (subscription may be required): NPR
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