Sue Gerhardt:

Sustainable People

early brain development and later well-being

To create a sustainable society, we need people who have the personal qualities to create a more ethical way of life:  people who can live with the limitations of our ecosystem and who are capable of bringing about a more peaceful and just world.

I will argue that the personal qualities that we need – of good self-regulation, self-control, awareness and empathy for others- are developed in early life, especially in babyhood. The early experiences of babyhood actually affect our brain structure and our ability to care for others. Without warm and responsive relationships in infancy, people can find it more difficult to live within their means or to treat others well. This means that if we want to create a more caring society, we must invest love and care in babies.

Strand: Sustainable Consciousness & Psychology

Type of event: Talk

Place: Room 1 upstairs in Primary School

Starts: 11:30

Ends: 12:30

Presenter's Personal/Professional Background: Sue Gerhardt

psychoanalytic psychotherapist, author of best-selling book:

Sue Gerhardt is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist practising in Oxford. Formerly a community worker and filmmaker, she is the author of “Why Love Matters” (2004) and “The Selfish Society” (2010).

Email: suegerhardt@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.whylovematters.com

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