The National Geographic says that Charles Darwin probably didn’t know it, but he held views on human empathy that mirror Buddhist beliefs, according to a psychologist who’s studied Buddhist teachings.
Moneyquote: Based on his interactions with foreign cultures, Darwin came to define empathy as a desire to end someone’s suffering to assuage one’s own discomfort.
Buddhist teachings also see empathy as a somewhat selfish motivation, but one that the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, calls the “seed of compassion.”
“It’s an amazing coincidence that [Darwin’s] views on compassion and morality are identical to the Tibetan Buddhist view,” said Paul Ekman, a psychologist.