Don’t Be Cruel

A plea for kindness in a mad world.

One could fill a book with reasons why people are cruel or compassionate. Several of our faculty just did.
The first chapter in The Psychology of Compassion and Cruelty: Understanding the Emotional, Spiritual, and Religious Influences (Praeger) opens with the unsettling observation that our ability to recognize pain in others gives us the ability to not only alleviate pain but accentuate it: “The worst torturer to have,” the author of one chapter writes, “is an empathic one (who puts the gun to your child’s head rather than your own).” But this is no grim book. Edited by Thomas G. Plante, psychology professor and director of SCU’s Spirituality and Health Institute, the volume examines scientific evidence showing how certain psychological, spiritual, and religious factors spur compassion and deter cruelty. Among SCU contributors: Plante and Erin Callister ’14 look at efforts to promote compassion during higher education, such as through community-engagement programs; Management Professor André L. Delbecq shares results of a pilot study suggesting that organizations should develop leadership training on how to express compassion at work; Diane E. Dreher, professor of English and associate director of the Spirituality and Health Institute, examines how mindfulness practices can reduce stress and cultivate greater compassion, clarity, and effective decision making; Sarita Tamayo-Moraga, a Zen priest and senior lecturer in religious studies, explores how the mindfulness practices of Zen Buddhism may promote compassion; and Barbara M. Burns, professor and director of liberal studies, describes the critical role parental compassion plays in child development.

post-image Photo courtesy of iStock
Wise words for the 2025 graduates

Radical empathy, leading with love, and finding God in all things: Commencement speakers share wisdom with Santa Clara University graduates.

Art at New Heights

Professor Kathy Aoki’s art is a critique of the commercialization of the art market. Now it’s on top of the tallest building in San Francisco.

Ctrl + Alt + Collaborate

How Professor Chan Thai turns group projects into training camp for navigating real-world communication, conflict, and collaboration.

Pitch Perfect Coaching

Under Coach Gina Carbonatto’s leadership, Santa Clara softball is not only breaking records but also building a winning culture that extends far beyond the diamond.