Compassion is a balancing act — something that must actively practiced in order to thrive. Learn to foster altruism and compassion in your communities with these quiet, yet powerful talks.

These TED Talks advocate for creating bridges of compassion and understanding.

With the Charter for Compassion, Karen Armstrong challenged the world to bring the Golden Rule to the center of life. Learn about how her vision inspired Greg Fischer -- the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky -- to lead the city in fascinating new directions.

It's hard to always show compassion -- even to the people we love, but Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle.

I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect. The plan Compassion isn't just a warm feeling. Reli...

The term "compassion" -- typically reserved for the saintly or the sappy -- has fallen out of touch with reality. At a special TEDPrize@UN, journalist Krista Tippett deconstructs the meaning of compassion through several moving stories, and proposes a new, more attainable definition for the word.

Google's "Jolly Good Fellow," Chade-Meng Tan, talks about how the company practices compassion in its everyday business -- and its bold side projects.

While we all agree that compassion is a great idea, Rabbi Tabick acknowledges there are challenges to its execution. She explains how a careful balance of compassion and justice allows us to do good deeds, and keep our sanity.

Robert Wright uses evolutionary biology and game theory to explain why we appreciate the Golden Rule ("Do unto others..."), why we sometimes ignore it and why there’s hope that, in the near future, we might all have the compassion to follow it.

Stephen Trzeciak was at the top of his game as a research scientist until an unexpected question from his 12-year-old son transformed his life's work. "What is the most pressing problem of our time? Do we really know? And what would happen if we actually did?" In this talk, Trzeciak discusses the erosion of compassion in healthcare, and proposes...

Practicing self-compassion is so vital right now that we consulted Dr. Kristin Neff on exercises for directing compassion inwards. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research and a co-developer of the empirically supported training program "Mindful Self-Compassion." She guides us on some self-soothing exercises and unpacks the ...

Swami Dayananda Saraswati unravels the parallel paths of personal development and attaining true compassion. He walks us through each step of self-realization, from helpless infancy to the fearless act of caring for others.

Join Rev. James Forbes at the dinner table of his Southern childhood, where his mother and father taught him what compassion really means day to day -- sharing with those who need love.

People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help build a Charter for Compassion -- to restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine.

Showing yourself kindness becomes even more important during life's difficult moments, and the current pandemic certainly qualifies. Learn why it's a misconception that you need to be tough on yourself to succeed, and how practicing self-compassion can make you even more resilient. (Audio only)

When personal relationships and ideological differences collide, the result can lead to strained relations -- or even years of silence and distance. Actor Betty Hart offers an alternative to cold shoulders and haughty hellos: compassion, and a chance for growth and change instead of losing important time with loved ones.

Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf combines the teachings of the Qur'an, the stories of Rumi, and the examples of Muhammad and Jesus, to demonstrate that only one obstacle stands between each of us and absolute compassion -- ourselves.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has devoted himself to healing relations between Muslim-Americans and their neighbors, and bringing that message of peace to the wider Muslim world.

What is altruism? Put simply, it's the wish that other people may be happy. And, says Matthieu Ricard, a happiness researcher and a Buddhist monk, altruism is also a great lens for making decisions, both for the short and long term, in work and in life.

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt legendarily spared the life of a black bear -- and prompted a plush toy craze for so-called "teddy bears." Writer Jon Mooallem digs into this toy story and asks us to consider how the tales we tell about wild animals have real consequences for a species' chance of survival -- and the natural world at large.

Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

As the first woman in the UK to be ordained in the Jewish faith, Rabbi Jackie Tabick has forged a path of inclusiveness from her work’s beginning.

With her groundbreaking "On Being" podcast, Krista Tippett takes up the ancient, animating questions for 21st-century life: What does it mean to be human? How do we want to live? And who will we be to each other?

Forgiveness sounds so easy, and yet it's tough to muster in practice. These talks may help.

Michele L. Sullivan is known for her sustainable and collaborative approach to philanthropic investing.

A collaboration between Great Big Story and TED, this series reveals the incredible things that happen when someone unveils an idea so inspiring it moves others to act. Watch the stories of people whose lives have been intrinsically changed by the idea in a TED Talk.

Known as the preacher’s preacher, Rev. James Forbes is a spiritual leader with charismatic style and radically progressive opinions.

Death is a topic that is relevant to us all, and yet it simply isn’t pleasant to talk about. These speakers offer subtle reframes to help us face this fact of life more thoughtfully and with greater compassion.

Yvonne Newbold's son, Toby, is one of the millions of young people living with a disability. Parenting Toby has offered her some lessons on how to help children move from anxiety-led behavior towards happier times. Drawing on her personal experience, she outlines some of the most effective and actionable of these strategies -- starting with a da...

Shane Koyczan makes spoken-word poetry and music. His poem "To This Day" is a powerful story of bullying and survival, illustrated by animators from around the world.