Homo Empathicus

In our world today we are seeing a battle between human values (homo empathicus) and economic values (homo averiticus). So far, homo empathicus appears to be losing this battle.

To suggest that the American Dream itself is misguided, outdated, and even damaging to the American psyche, would be considered almost treasonous. Yet, I would like to suggest just that.

Only recently, in the wake of the disastrous downturn of the global economy have some economists begun to turn their attention to the role social trust plays in providing the foundation for commerce and trade.

The following is an excerpt from the HuffPost book club pick for February, Jeremy Rifkin's "The Empathic Civilization". Historians, by and large, wri...