What a mouthful, I thought, when I first heard this word. My friend had told me I had what the German’s called Gemeinshaftgefuhl. I almost said bless you, because the word sounded funny. But he explained that it was a special sentiment: It had to do with the love of your fellow human being. More than that, it meant dong something to help your fellow man, for the sheer love of them. The Germans have a way of constructing words—so many syllables. But what a spirit this one captures. Some translate it as “community feeling” or “social interest,” the Psychologist, Alfred Adler used it to describe the state of social connectedness and interest in the well-being of others that characterizes psychological health.
Strengths Fed
- Character strengths of love, social intelligence, kindness, teamwork.
- Strengths of Competence: relator, caring and presence.
Want to take your Gemeinshaftgefuhl to another level? Read on:
Want to make your job matter in the world? Your work can feed your altruism.
TED has some great ideas:
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.
Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow,” Chade-Meng Tan, talks about how the company practices compassion in its everyday business — and its bold side projects.
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren’t more compassionate more of the time.
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.