Episode 2: Compassion with Rachel Ruttan

Rachel Ruttan’s research is ripe with counterintuitive findings, such as, how past experience overcoming a struggle can actually make us less compassionate to people currently experiencing the same challenge. Or how the pursuit of money can make us feel worse about ourselves. Going behind her fascinating research, listen to how Rachel’s own journey out of poverty informs her work.

Rachel Ruttan is an assistant professor at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto. Rachel’s research examines issues around moral judgement, values, compassion we feel for others and why we sometimes have lapses in it. Her work has previously been profiled in the New York Times, NPR and the Harvard Business Review.

Learn More: Rachel Ruttan, Against Empathy

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Why do some people make it, while others don’t? How do the facts of our lives differ from our perception of it? And how does our psychology shape how we view ourselves and others?

Attribution is, where people from all walks of life, reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Our hope is after each episode, you feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported, then when you first hit play.

Bob McKinnon is a writer, designer, and teacher who asks us to reconsider the way we see success and the American Dream.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, Esquire, Parents, CBS, Boston Globe, Fast Company, NPR, and PBS.

His own journey out of poverty was captured in his TEDx talk: How Did I End Up Here. Through his writing and this podcast, he hopes to pay tribute and thanks to all those who have helped him and others move up in life.

Attribution was originally created with support from Chasing the Dream, a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on poverty, justice, and economic opportunity in America. It is currently distributed by NPR.

This show was edited by No Troublemakers, Ltd. Music by Jonnie “Most” Davis.

Our final credit goes to you, the listener, and to everyone who helped you get to where you are today. If this show has reminded you of someone in particular, make their day and let them know.