3156 Pathological Altruism | Barbara Oakley and Stefan Molyneux

The benefits of altruism and empathy are obvious. These qualities are so highly regarded and embedded in both secular and religious societies that it seems almost heretical to suggest they can cause harm. Like most good things, however, altruism can be distorted or taken to an unhealthy extreme. Pathological Altruism presents a number of new, thought-provoking theses that explore a range of hurtful effects of altruism and empathy.Stefan Molyneux and Barbara Oakley discuss the concept of Pathological Altruism, the biological science behind it, the unfortunate implications of wanting to feel like you’re doing good opposed to actually doing good, the failure of modern science, the non-reproducibility of may scientific studies, bias in academia and much much more!Barbara Oakley, PhD, PE, is a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and writer of national acclaim. Her research focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Dr. Oakley’s research has been described as “revolutionary” in the Wall Street Journal—she has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and The New York Times. For more from Barbara Oakley, please go to: http://www.barbaraoakley.comPathological Altruismhttp://www.fdrurl.com/pathological-altruismA Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Sciencehttp://www.fdrurl.com/mind-for-numbersEvil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriendhttp://www.fdrurl.com/evil-genesLearning How to Learn Course: https://www.coursera.org/course/learning