Division and polarization are rising all around the world while social ties are decreasing. It feels hard to know what to do. Earlier this month, our strategic partner the Muhammad Ali Center launched the Muhammad Ali Compassion Index: A National Study on Compassion in America. This trailblazing index gives us hard data on the state of compassion in the country and recommendations to inform the changes necessary to create a more compassionate world.
To produce this study, the Ali Center and their research partner sparks and honey, analyzed primary drivers, opportunities, and barriers for compassion through the use of cultural and behavioral analysis combined with extensive survey data from twelve American cities. The report revealed both gaps and opportunities for leaders of communities and the individuals living within them.
There are plenty of bleak statistics about lack of engagement, decreased social ties, and the increase in hateful rhetoric here in America. Yet, the Ali Center found, “a growing national interest for empathy and understanding.” People are concerned and want to help. This report will help give leaders strategies to respond.
This gap between our social disconnection and the desire for greater human understanding is part of what the Muhammad Ali Center wants to magnify. The report shares, “Through acts of kindness, generosity and a genuine care for others, Ali broke down barriers and united people across divisions of race, politics, religion and culture. He showed us compassion isn’t just a virtue — it’s a transformative force, a powerful response to suffering and a rallying cry for meaningful change.”
We, too, believe in the transformative power of compassion and are grateful for this new body of comprehensive evidence.
The Index breaks out opportunities for exploring compassion through interconnected layers:
compassion for self,
compassion for other individuals,
compassion for other groups,
compassion for local communities
and compassion for the nation.
While the Index is centered in American research, compassionate leaders around the globe will find points of connection and possibility in each of the report’s strategic recommendations.
Just as Muhammad Ali became the greatest boxer of all time through disciplined training and practice, the science shows us that compassion is a “muscle” that is strengthened through consistent practice.
Strategic Recommendations
The Muhammad Ali Index offers four key strategies to grow compassion across the country.
1) Champion Healthier Communities
Compassion grows from the inside out and starts with the individual. Healthier communities that address mental and emotional health, address basic needs of shelter and quality food access, and offer access to spaces for physical activity lay the foundation for compassionate groups. Emphasizing self-compassion is at the heart of making improvements with these efforts.
2) Build the Skill of Compassion
Measurable, scalable compassion offerings into organizations create more empathic, creative, thriving organizations. From non-profits to corporations, opportunities exist to embed compassion programs into the core of their work to drive collective action. The evidence for the success of such programs is compelling, and the Center for Compassionate Leadership looks forward to working as supportive partners in this work.
3) Invest in Compassion
The question is always present: “What will the return be on investing in compassion?” The Muhammad Ali Index will offer valuable time series data to measure how investing in compassion programs changes the Net Compassion Scores within communities. Investment is, of course, a requirement to succeed in strengthening compassion.
4) Empower Pride in Place
There is a strong correlation between community pride and compassionate action. Good news stories of lived experience are important to share as are local cultural celebrations.
The science is clear: We have all had the inner capacity for compassion from infancy, and we can grow our compassion through practice. The Muhammad Ali Index gives all of us in this leadership community of compassionate changemakers additional resources to create a more compassionate world.
Where will you start? There is a simple, immediate, and impactful next step available to each of us right now: Sign the Ali Compassion Pledge. In so doing, you’ll be taking a meaningful step to putting your compassion into action.
NOTE: The Center for Compassionate Leadership is an Impact Partner of the Ali Index. Find out more here.