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In the dim, sterile confines of a prison visiting room, 17-year-old Lauren Chan hands Clara* a sketchbook, their fingers brushing through the divider. Their unlikely friendship, forged through art, stands in contrast to the harsh realities of their surroundings.
Lauren met Clara through a Hong Kong-based NGO called Voice for Prisoners. The organisation assists people imprisoned for drug trafficking and helps inmates cope with challenges in prison by supporting them through educational programmes and visitations.
Programmes like these promote empathy and fight stereotypes about prisoners, Lauren said. “People become incarcerated not necessarily out of them making a decision of their own free will ... They often lack other means of income, which leads them into these narcotic smuggling crimes,” she said.
Teacher tip: Ask your class what misconceptions they may have about people in prison. What is the importance of empathy, and how can it break down stereotypes? Check out an easier version of the story on Spark!
Have you ever met someone and felt an instant connection? How about immediate dislike? Some of us might regard those feelings as fated or destined, but psychologist Andrew Stock offers a more scientific explanation.
This “gut feeling”, he said, is because of cognitive efficiency: when your brain uses the least amount of energy to perform a task well.
But does that mean you should always trust your gut? Stock explained how to respond to these feelings and why you shouldn't stick to snap judgements.
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