The neuroscience of extremes: Ruthless psychopathy to extraordinary generosity | Abigail Marsh

“There's a very pervasive belief that human nature is fundamentally selfish, but I know for a fact that that can't be true in part because my life was saved by a stranger a long time ago when I was 19.”

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Is it possible that kindness and cruelty aren’t opposites, but points along the same spectrum of human nature? Neuroscientist Abigail Marsh has spent decades studying what she calls the “caring continuum:” A range that runs from extreme altruists to individuals with psychopathy who feel little or no concern for others.

Marsh challenges the widespread belief that humans are fundamentally selfish, showing instead how neuroscience, psychology, and everyday observation tell a more complex story.

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About Abigail Marsh:

Abigail Marsh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004.