{"id":1011,"date":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/wcsu-professor-kukk-writes-book-on-compassion\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","slug":"wcsu-professor-kukk-writes-book-on-compassion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/wcsu-professor-kukk-writes-book-on-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"WCSU 2017 – Kukk writes book on compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Following the historic visit of the Dalai Lama<\/a> to Western Connecticut State University<\/a> in 2012, Dr. Christopher Kukk<\/a>, a professor of Political Science, was asked to work with students to create a lasting tribute to the event.<\/p>\n

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The result was the WCSU Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation<\/a>, which Kukk directs. As he dove into the project, Kukk found himself becoming fascinated with the theory of compassion and its positive effects.<\/p>\n

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After five years of research, Kukk has written a book, \u201cThe Compassionate Achiever: How Helping Others Fuels Success<\/a>,\u201d which was published this week.<\/p>\n

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As Kukk wrote:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor decades, we\u2019ve been told the key to prosperity is to look out for number one. But recent science shows that to achieve durable success, we need to be more than just achievers; we need to be compassionate achievers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kukk showed that new research in biology, neuroscience and economics has found that compassion \u2014 recognizing a problem or caring about another\u2019s pain and making a commitment to help \u2014 not only improves others\u2019 lives, it can transform our own. \u201cThe Compassionate Achiever\u201d reveals the profound benefits of practicing compassion, including more constructive relationships, improved intelligence and increased resiliency. <\/p>\n

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In the book, Kukk makes clear that practicing compassion isn\u2019t about being a martyr or a paragon of virtue; it\u2019s about rejecting rage and indifference and choosing instead to be a thoughtful, caring problem-solver. He identifies the skills every compassionate achiever should master \u2014 listening, understanding, connecting and acting \u2014 and outlines how to develop each, with clear explanations, easy-to-implement strategies, actionable exercises and real-world examples. <\/p>\n

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By practicing compassion, Kukk said, everyone wins and can achieve success in our own lives and create more productive workplaces, and healthier, less violent communities.<\/p>\n

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For more information, contact the office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities. <\/em><\/p>\n

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