Over a pint of beer, the great biologist, polymath and pub-lover J B S Haldane was asked if he would give his life to save his drowning brother. He is supposed to have said: ‘No, but I would to save two brothers, or eight cousins.’ He was referring to one of evolution’s puzzles: why animals Read more
All the major religions place great importance on compassion. Whether it’s the parable of the good Samaritan in Christianity, Judaism’s “13 attributes of compassion” or the Buddha’s statement that “loving kindness and compassion is all of our practice,” empathy with the suffering of others is seen as a special virtue that has the power to Read more
The problem with living next door to the office is that the line between what is work and what is not work gets easily rubbed away. In my previous jobs, the vicarage has been located a decent walk from the church. So if I wanted to spend a quiet morning at home pottering around in my underpants Read more