In a world racing toward smarter machines, empathy speakers and authors Rob Volpe and Maria Ross get curious in this limited subseries about what only humans can feel, do, and be — and why that's our greatest competitive advantage. Enjoy this limited subseries here on The Empathy Edge.
Morality, Conscience, Storytelling & Community
Where does our sense of right and wrong actually come from? Maria and Rob trace the roots of human morality across three sources: evolutionary wiring that hardwired empathy for group survival, cultural transmission passed down through family and community, and the personal reflection that continues to shape our ethics well into adulthood. They look to Frans de Waal's research on chimps and bonobos, and to highly social species like wolves, crows, and honeybees, who enforce unwritten norms on the group. But a key distinction: animals register unfairness, while humans ruminate in moral anguish over it.
By the end of the conversation, they find themselves less certain than when they started about whether humanity could ever agree on even three to five truly universal moral principles, and invite their listeners to contact us with their opinions.
To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com and search by episode title.
"That’s where our empathy work lies - how do you bridge that gap between your different potentially moral or ethical codes?" — Maria Ross
Episode References:
About Maria Ross:
Maria Ross is a speaker, author, empathy strategist, and host of The Empathy Edge podcast, now in its sixth year. She believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive™, and has spent decades helping leaders balance empathy with accountability to drive better results, stronger teams, and lasting impact. She is the author of four books, including the award-winning The Empathy Dilemma, a Forbes.com contributor on Workplace Empathy, and creator of two LinkedIn Learning empathy courses.
About Rob Volpe:
Rob Volpe is the Founder/CEO of Empathy Activist and the creator of The 5 Steps to Empathy, which he chronicles in his award-winning book Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. He is a recognized thought leader, speaker, and consultant in the improvement of communication and collaboration in organizations of all sizes in all industries.
Connect with Rob Volpe:
Website: robvolpe.expert
Book: Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation
X: x.com/rmvolpe
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe
Facebook: facebook.com/EmpathyActivist
Instagram: instagram.com/empathy_activist
Connect with Maria:
Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/books
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
