Sam Richards: un experimento radical en empatía - TED 2010 - Español Subtitulado

Summary

El texto ofrece una reflexión profunda sobre la empatía como herramienta fundamental en la sociología, la cual permite comprender las fuerzas invisibles que moldean a las personas. A través de hipotéticos escenarios históricos y modernos, el orador invita a los oyentes a ponerse en los zapatos de otros, desde una comunidad opresa en China hasta una familia musulmana en Irak. La narrativa explora cómo la perspectiva puede cambiar radicalmente al entender las motivaciones y emociones de diferentes grupos, incluyendo a los insurgentes. El mensaje principal es que la empatía y la comprensión pueden ampliar nuestra visión del mundo y ayudarnos a analizar las complejidades sociales con mayor profundidad.

Takeaways

• 🧐 Empatía es fundamental para entender las fuerzas invisibles que modelan a las personas en la sociología.
• 🌐 Imaginarse situaciones históricamente o geográficamente diferentes ayuda a desarrollar una comprensión más profunda de las dinámicas sociales.
• 💭 La perspectiva de un sociologo implica comprender las acciones y motivaciones de los individuos, incluso aquellas que parecen en矛盾 o inaceptables.
• 👣 El acto de ponerse en los zapatos de otra persona puede ser un experimento radical que abre nuevas perspectivas y comprensiones.
• 🏛️ La historia hipotética de China como una potencia dominante en Estados Unidos sirve para ilustrar cómo la empatía puede cambiar nuestra comprensión de la pobreza y la riqueza.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 La vida de una familia árabe musulmana en Irak, vista a través de los ojos de un estadounidense, resalta la importancia de la perspectiva en la comprensión de las relaciones internacionales.
• 🌍 La dependencia de los Estados Unidos del petróleo extranjero y la percepción de la intervención estadounidense en países productores de petróleo son claves en la comprensión de las relaciones globales.
• 💔 La violencia y el sufrimiento en Irak son resultado de una compleja red de intereses y percepciones, no solo de la codicia por los recursos naturales.
• 🕊️ A pesar de las tensiones y conflictos, hay acciones humanitarias y de desarrollo que también son parte de la presencia estadounidense en regiones como Medio Oriente.
• ✝️ La percepción de la religión cristiana en el contexto de la política y las guerras en el Medio Oriente puede llevar a malentendidos y temores sin fundamento.
• 🔄 El análisis socio- cultural requiere de la capacidad de alternar entre diferentes perspectivas y reconocer la complejidad de las motivaciones humanas.

Q & A

¿Qué es la sociología según el script?

La sociología es el estudio de cómo los seres humanos son moldeados por factores invisibles, es decir, por fuerzas sociales y estructuras que a menudo no son evidentes para los individuos.

¿Cómo sugiere el hablante que uno puede convertirse en un sociologo?

El hablante sugiere que para convertirse en un sociologo, uno debe comenzar con la empatía, poniéndose en los zapatos de otra persona para entender mejor las fuerzas invisibles que moldean a las personas.

¿Por qué el hablante utiliza la hipérbole de imaginar a China como una superpotencia que extrae carbón de los Estados Unidos?

El hablante utiliza esta hipérbole para ilustrar cómo las fuerzas invisibles, como el poder económico y político, pueden influir en la vida de las personas de una nación, y para fomentar la empatía al imaginar una situación inversa a la realidad conocida.

¿Qué rol sugiere el hablante que desempeñan las armas y la tecnología en la relación entre China y los Estados Unidos en su ejemplo?

El hablante sugiere que la tecnología y las armas militares son utilizadas por la 'clase gobernante' para asegurar el control y reprimir a la población, manteniendo así la relación de explotación económica.

¿Cómo describe el hablante la situación en la que los estadounidenses se ven envueltos en el mundo árabe y musulmán?

El hablante describe la situación como una de conflicto y desesperación, donde los estadounidenses son vistos como invasores con intereses en los recursos petroleros, y donde las acciones militares han causado un gran sufrimiento civil.

¿Qué cree el hablante que es importante entender sobre la perspectiva de un árabe musulmán en Irak?

El hablante cree que es importante entender la sensación de miedo, la percepción de injusticia y la frustración que puede sentir un árabe musulmán en Irak, especialmente en relación con las políticas y acciones de los Estados Unidos.

¿Qué efecto tiene la empatía en la capacidad de un individuo para comprender la sociología?

La empatía permite a un individuo comprender mejor las vidas y perspectivas de otros, lo que a su vez puede enriquecer su análisis sociológico y su comprensión del mundo y de las fuerzas sociales en juego.

¿Por qué el hablante insiste en que los estudiantes y la audiencia se imaginen en la situación de otros grupos étnicos y culturales?

El hablante insiste en esto para fomentar una mayor comprensión y empatía, y para mostrar cómo las acciones y percepciones de un grupo pueden ser malentendidas o malinterpretadas por otro.

¿Qué es el 'experimento radical' que el hablante propone?

El 'experimento radical' es un ejercicio de empatía que pide a los oyentes que se imaginen en las perspectivas de grupos diferentes, incluidos los insurgentes, para comprender mejor las motivaciones y emociones detrás de sus acciones.

¿Cómo el hablante sugiere que la empatía puede influir en la forma en que uno vee el mundo?

El hablante sugiere que la empatía puede llevar a una comprensión más profunda y una visión más amplia del mundo, permitiendo a las personas ver las conexiones y las complejidades en las interacciones humanas más allá de sus propias experiencias limitadas.

¿Qué es el mensaje final del hablante para los estudiantes y la audiencia?

El mensaje final es que la empatía y la capacidad para entender las vidas y perspectivas de otros son herramientas poderosas para el análisis sociológico y para la mejora de la comprensión interpersonal y global.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Empatía como herramienta para entender la sociología

El primer párrafo introduce la sociología como el estudio de cómo los seres humanos son moldeados por fuerzas invisibles. El narrador sugiere que la empatía es clave para entender estas fuerzas, y utiliza un ejemplo hipotético para ilustrar cómo la toma de perspectiva puede ayudar a comprender situaciones complejas. Describe una situación en la que China fuera la nación más poderosa y extraiga y exporte carbón de EE. UU., lo que conduce a la riqueza de China y a la desesperación económica en EE. UU. Luego, invita a los estudiantes a imaginarse en la piel de los habitantes de EE. UU. en esa situación y a sentir la ira y el miedo que podrían experimentar.

05:02

😕 La perspectiva de un musulmán árabe en Irak

El segundo párrafo profundiza en la idea de la empatía al pedir al lector que adopte la perspectiva de un musulmán árabe en Irak. El narrador explora cómo este individuo podría ver a los estadounidenses como personas ricas y consumistas, dependientes del petróleo iraquí, y cómo podría interpretar las acciones de los EE. UU. en términos de un deseo de controlar ese recurso. Además, discute la percepción de la militarización por parte de los EE. UU. y cómo la política exterior de los Estados Unidos podría ser vista como una amenaza para la soberanía y la estabilidad de Irak. Finalmente, el narrador aborda la complejidad de las percepciones religiosas y culturales, y cómo las acciones y las palabras de figuras como el General Boykin y Terry Jones pueden alimentar la hostilidad y el miedo entre las comunidades.

10:05

😤 La ira y el temor frente a la agresión extranjera

El tercer párrafo continúa con la idea de la empatía, pero esta vez desde la perspectiva de un estadounidense que enfrenta la pérdida de un ser querido debido a la 'sublevación del carbón' en manos de las fuerzas chinas. Luego, el narrador vuelve a la situación de Irak y pide que el lector intente entender las motivaciones y emociones de los insurgentes capturados por las fuerzas estadounidenses. Explora la idea de que, aunque la violencia y el terrorismo no son justificados, la comprensión de las circunstancias y las emociones detrás de estas acciones puede ser crucial para una sociología más profunda y humana.

15:08

🌐 Ampliando la perspectiva para comprender el mundo

El cuarto y último párrafo concluye el discurso enfatizando la importancia de salir de nuestra 'pequeña vida' y adentrarnos en la vida de otros para construir una comprensión más rica y empática del mundo. El narrador sugiere que, a través de la empatía y la sociología, podemos entender mejor las acciones y motivaciones de los demás, incluso cuando estos parecen en矛盾 con nuestros propios valores y creencias. Concluye agradeciendo a la audiencia y resaltando el poder transformador de la empatía en la construcción de un mundo más comprensivo y conectado.

Keywords

💡Empatía

Empatía se refiere a la capacidad de ponerse en los zapatos de otra persona y comprender sus sentimientos y perspectivas. En el video, se utiliza para ilustrar cómo un sociólogo puede entender las fuerzas invisibles que moldean a las personas. Se menciona que 'todo comienza con empatía', destacando su importancia en la sociología.

💡Sociología

Sociología es el estudio de cómo las estructuras sociales y culturales influyen en las personas. En el video, se presenta como una disciplina que analiza las fuerzas invisibles que afectan a los seres humanos, como las estructuras de poder y las relaciones económicas.

💡Invisibles fuerzas

Las 'invisibles fuerzas' son elementos sociales y culturales que afectan a las personas sin que estas sean conscientes de ello. En el video, se discute cómo los estudiantes de sociología pueden entender estas fuerzas a través de la empatía y la introspección.

💡Globalización

La globalización es el proceso de integración económica, política y cultural a nivel mundial. En el video, se utiliza como contexto para explorar cómo los recursos naturales, como el petróleo, son objeto de disputas y cómo afectan las relaciones internacionales.

💡Petróleo

El petróleo es un recurso natural altamente valorado y demandado en todo el mundo. En el video, se discute cómo los intereses en el petróleo pueden influir en las políticas internacionales y en la vida de las personas en países productores de petróleo.

💡Conflicto

El conflicto es una lucha o enfrentamiento entre intereses opuestos. En el video, se abordan los conflictos resultantes de la lucha por los recursos naturales y cómo estos afectan a las relaciones entre diferentes grupos y naciones.

💡Militarización

La militarización se refiere a la influencia creciente del ejército o de la ideología militar en la sociedad. En el video, se menciona como un factor en la política exterior de los Estados Unidos y cómo es percibida por los habitantes de países con conflictos.

💡Democracia

La democracia es un sistema de gobierno en el que el poder recae en el pueblo, que puede expresar su voluntad a través de elecciones y participación política. En el video, se cuestiona si Estados Unidos realmente promueve la democracia a nivel mundial, especialmente en países con recursos valiosos.

💡Identidad cultural

La identidad cultural es el conjunto de características, creencias y prácticas que definen a un grupo de personas. En el video, se explora cómo la identidad cultural puede influir en la percepción de los demás y en la formación de prejuicios.

💡Conflicto religioso

El conflicto religioso es un enfrentamiento entre grupos religiosos que puede ser causado por diferencias de creencias o intereses. En el video, se discute cómo las tensiones religiosas pueden exacerbar los conflictos y cómo la percepción de un 'crucero' puede afectar a las relaciones entre culturas.

💡Generalización

La generalización es el proceso de aplicar un concepto o característica a todo miembro de un grupo. En el video, se advierte sobre los peligros de la generalización y cómo puede llevar a la discriminación y al miedo, al no reconocer la diversidad y las diferencias individuales.

Highlights

The importance of empathy in understanding sociology

Imagining a scenario where China was the dominant power and exploited US coal resources

The impact of economic disparity and a small ruling elite benefiting from resources

The role of military weapons and technology in maintaining control and suppressing dissent

The emotional response of anger and fear when confronted with foreign occupation

The radical experiment of putting oneself in the shoes of an ordinary Arab Muslim in Iraq

The perception of American motives being driven by oil interests

Stereotyping of Americans as wealthy, living in big houses and driving big cars

The militarization of the world centered in the United States

The hypocrisy of supporting undemocratic oil-producing countries while promoting democracy

The devastating impact of wars, sanctions, and occupations on civilians in Iraq

The perception of Christians as a threat, with some viewing the conflict as a religious crusade

The fear and suspicion generated by extreme views and actions of some Americans, such as Lt. Gen. Boykin and Terry Jones

The importance of stepping outside one's own perspective and repeatedly putting oneself in others' shoes to gain a deeper understanding

The transformative power of empathy and understanding in changing one's worldview

The challenge of transcending stereotypes and seeing the humanity in all people, even those we may initially hate or fear

The sociologist's goal of understanding all perspectives, even those of terrorists, to gain a comprehensive view of society

Transcripts

my students often ask me what is

sociology and I tell them it's the study

of the way in which human beings are

shaped by things that they don't see and

they say so how can I be a sociologist

how can I understand those invisible

forces and I say empathy start with

empathy it all begins with empathy take

yourself out of your shoes put yourself

into the shoes of another person here

I'll give you an example so I imagine my

life if a hundred years ago China had

been the most powerful nation in the

world and they came to the United States

in search of coal and they found it and

in fact they found lots of it right here

and pretty soon they began shipping that

coal ton by ton railcar by railcar

boatload by boatload back to China and

elsewhere around the world

and they got fabulously wealthy in doing

so in they build beautiful cities all

powered on that coal and back here

in the United States we saw economic

despair deprivation this is what I saw I

saw people struggling to get by not

knowing what was what and what was next

and then I asked myself a question I say

how is it possible that we can be so

poor here in the United States because

the coal is such a wealthy resources so

much money and I realize because the

Chinese ingratiate themselves with a

small ruling class here in the United

States who stole all of that money and

all of that wealth for themselves and

the rest of us the vast majority of us

struggle to get by and the Chinese gave

this small ruling elite loads of

military weapons and sophisticated

technology in order to ensure that

people like me would not speak out

against this relationship

does this sound familiar and they did

things like trained Americans to help

protect the coal and everywhere were

symbols of the Chinese everywhere a

constant reminder and back in China what

they say in China nothing gonna talk

about us I don't got the coal if you ask

him they'll say well you know the coal

we need the coal I mean come on I'm not

gonna turn down my thermostat

you can't expect that and so I get angry

and I get pissed as do lots of average

people and we fight back and it gets

really ugly and the Chinese respond in a

very ugly way and before we know it

they've sent in the tanks and they send

in the troops and lots of people are

dying and it's a very very difficult

situation

can you imagine what you would feel if

you were in my shoes can you imagine

walking out of this building and seeing

a tank sitting out there or a truck full

of soldiers

it's just imagine what you would feel

because you know why they're here and

you know what they're doing here you

just feel the anger and you feel the

fear okay if you can that's empathy

that's sympathy you've left your shoes

and you've stood in mine and you kind of

feel that okay so that's the warm up

that's the warm up now we're gonna have

the real radical experiment and so for

the remainder of my talk what I want you

to do is put yourselves in the shoes of

an ordinary Arab Muslim living in the

Middle East in particular in Iraq

okay and so to help you perhaps you're a

member of this middle-class family in

Baghdad and what you want is the best

for your kids you're running your kids

to have a better life and you watch the

news you pay attention you read the

newspaper you go down to the coffee shop

with your friends and you read the

newspapers from around the world and

sometimes you even watch satellite CNN

from the United States so you have a

sense of what the Americans are thinking

but really you just want a better life

for yourself that's what you want your

Arab Muslim living in Iraq you want a

better life for yourself so here let me

help you let me help you with some

things that you might be thinking number

one this incursion into your land these

past 20 years and before the reason

anyone is interested in your land in

particularly the United States its oil

but it's all about oil you know that

everybody knows that people here back in

the United States know it's about oil

right it's because somebody else has a

design for your resource

it's your resource it's not somebody

else's right it's your land

it's your resource somebody else has

designed for it and you know why they

have a design you know why they have

their their eyes set on it because they

have an entire economic system that's

dependent on that oil foreign oil oil

from other parts of the world that they

don't own and what else do you think

about these people well the Americans

the rich come on they live in big houses

they have big cars they all have blond

hair blue eyes they're happy you think

that it's not true of course but that's

the median impression that's like what

you get and they have big cities and the

cities are all dependent on oil and back

home what do you see

poverty despair struggle look you don't

live in a wealthy country I mean this is

a rock you don't live in this is what

you see you see people struggling to get

by I mean it's not easy you see a lot of

poverty and you feel something about

this these people have designs for your

resource and this is what you see

something else you see that you talk

about Americans don't talk about this

but you do

this thing this this militarization of

the world in its centered right in the

United States in the United States is

responsible for almost 1/2 of the

world's military spending 4 percent of

the world's population and you feel it

you see it every day it's part of your

life and you mean you talk about it with

your friends you read about it right and

back when Saddam Hussein was in power

the Americans didn't care about his

crimes when he was gassing the Kurds and

guessing Iran didn't care about it when

oil was at stake somehow suddenly things

mattered and what you see something else

the United States the hub of democracy

around the world they don't seem to

really be supporting democratic

countries all around the world there are

a lot of countries oil-producing

countries that aren't very democratic

but supported by the United States odd

oh these incursions these two wars the

ten years of sanctions the eight years

of occupation the insurgency that's been

unleashed on your people the tens of

thought the hundreds of thousands of

civilian deaths oh because of oil you

can't help but think that you talk about

it it's in the forefront of your mind

always you say how is that possible in

this man he's every man your grandfather

your uncle your father your son your

neighbor your professor your student

once a life happiness and joy and

suddenly pain and sorrow everyone in

your country has been touched by the

violence the bloodshed the pain the

horror everybody not a single person in

your country has not been touched

so here but there's something else

there's something else about these these

people these these Americans who are

there there's something else about them

that you see they don't see themselves

and what do you see the Christians

they're Christians they worship the

Christian God they have crosses they

carry Bibles their Bibles have a little

insignia that says US Army on them in

their leaders their leaders before they

send their sons and daughters off to war

in your country and you know the reason

before they send them off they go to a

Christian Church and they pray to their

Christian God and they ask for

protection and guidance from that God

why

well obviously so that if when people

die in the war they are Muslims they are

Iraqis there are Americans

you know when Americans to die protect

our troops and you feel something about

that of course you do and they do

wonderful things you read about it you

hear but they're there to build schools

and help people and that's what they

want to do they do wonderful things but

they also do the bad things and you

can't tell the difference in this guy

you got a guy like Lieutenant General

William Boykin I mean here's a guy who

says that your God is a false God your

gods an idol his God is the true God the

solution for the problem in the Middle

East according kim is to convert you all

to christianity just giving a religion

and you know that americans don't read

about this guy they don't know anything

about him but you do you pass it around

you've has his words around I mean this

is serious you're afraid he was one of

the leading commanders in the second

invasion of Iraq and you're thinking we

got if this guy is saying that then all

the soldiers must be saying that in this

word here George Bush called this war a

crusade man the Americans they say a

crusade whatever I don't know what that

mean you know what it means it's a holy

war against Muslims look invade subdue

them take their resources if they won't

submit kill them that's what this is

about

and you're thinking my god these

Christians are coming to kill us

this is frightening you feel frightened

of course you feel frightened in this

man Terry Jones I mean here's a guy

wants to burn Korans right in Americans

what he's a knucklehead he's a former

hotel manager he's got three dozen

members of his church they laugh him off

you don't laugh him off because in the

context

everything else all the pieces fit I

mean of course this is how Americans

take it so people all over the Middle

East not just in your country are

protesting like this is he wants a burqa

runs our holy book these Christians who

are these Christians they're so evil

they're so mean I mean this is what

they're about this is what you're

thinking as an Arab Muslim as an Iraqi

of course you're going to think this and

then your cousin says hey cuz check out

this website you got to see this

this Bible boot camp these Christians

are nuts they're training their little

kids to be soldiers for Jesus and they

take these little kids and they run them

through these things they teach them how

to say sir yes sir and things like

grenade toss and weapons care and

maintenance and go to the website says

US Army right on it I mean these

Christians they're nuts

how would they do this to their little

kids and you're reading this website and

of course Christians back in the United

States or anybody says ah this is some

little tiny Church in the middle of

nowhere you don't know that for you this

is like all Christians like they're all

it's all over the web Bible boot camp

and look at this they even teach their

kids they trained him in the same way

the US Marines train isn't that

interesting and it scares you and it

frightens you so these guys you see them

you see I Sam Richards I know who these

guys are they're my students my friends

I mean I know what they're thinking you

don't know when you see them there's

something else there's something else

that's what they are to you we don't see

it that way in the United States but you

see it that way right

so here

of course you got it wrong you're

generalizing it's wrong you don't

understand the Americans it's not a

Christian invasion we're not just there

for oil were there for lots of reason I

mean you have it wrong you missed it and

of course most of you don't support the

insurgency you don't support killing

Americans people you don't support the

terrorists of course you don't

very few people do but something you do

right and this is a perspective ok so

now here's what we're gonna do step

outside of your shoes that you're in

right now and step back into your normal

shoes so everyone's back in the room ok

now here comes the radical experiment so

we're all back home this photo this

woman man I feel her I feel her she's my

sister my wife my cousin my neighbor

she's anybody to me these guys standing

there everybody in the photo I feel this

photo man ok so here's what I want you

to do let's go back to my first example

of the Chinese ok so I want you to go

there so it's all about Cole and the

Chinese are here in the United States

and what I want you to do is picture her

as a Chinese woman receiving a Chinese

flag because her loved one has died in

America in the Cole uprising and the

soldiers are Chinese and everybody else

has Chinese ok as an American how do you

feel about this picture what do you

think about that scene

okay try this bring it back this is the

scene here

it's an American American soldiers

American woman who lost her loved one in

the Middle East in Iraq or Afghanistan

okay

now put yourself in the shoes go back to

the shoes of an Arab Muslim living in

Iraq

what are you feeling and thinking about

this photo about this woman

okay now follow me on this because I'm

taking a big risk here and so I'm gonna

invite you to take a risk with me these

gentlemen here they're insurgents they

were caught by the American soldiers

trying to kill Americans it may be they

succeeded

maybe they succeeded put yourself in the

shoes of the Americans who caught them

can you feel the rage can you feel you

just want to take these guys and wring

their necks

I mean can you go there it shouldn't be

that difficult you know you just be oh

man right okay now put yourself in their

shoes are they brutal killers or

patriotic defenders which one can you

feel their anger their fear their rage

at what has happened in their country

can you imagine that maybe one of them

in the morning bent down to their child

and hug their child and said dear I'll

be back later

I'm going out to defend your freedom

your lives I'm going out to look out for

us the future of our country can you

imagine that can you imagine saying that

can you go there what do you think

they're feeling

you see that sympathy it's also

understanding now you might ask okay Sam

so why do you do this sort of thing why

would you use this example of all

examples and I say because because

you're allowed to hate these people

right you're allowed to man just hate

them with every fiber of your being and

if I can get you to step into their

shoes and walk an inch one tiny inch

then imagine the kind of sociological

analysis that you can do in all other

aspects of your life you can walk a mile

when it comes to understanding why that

person driving 40 miles per hour in the

passing lane or your teenage son or your

neighbor who annoys you by cutting his

lawn on Sunday mornings whatever it is

you can go so far and this is what I

tell my students step outside of your

tiny little world

step inside of the tiny little world of

somebody else and then do it again and

do it again and do it again and suddenly

all these tiny little worlds they come

together in this complex web and they

build a big complex world and suddenly

without realizing it you're seeing the

world differently everything has changed

everything in your life has changed and

that's of course what this is about

attend to other lives other visions

listen to other people enlighten

ourselves I'm not saying that I support

the terrorists in Iraq but as a

sociologist what I am saying is I

understand and now perhaps perhaps you

do too

thank you