Exploring the Mind | Mindfulness, Interconnectedness, and Dignity

When

Monday September 11, 2023: 6:00pm to 7:30pm  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Description

Hyper-connectedness is the defining feature of our lives, yet many people report loneliness and disconnection. In this talk, Professor Ramaswami Mahalingam will present a holistic, Mindful Mindset perspective to foster personal, social, and ecological connectedness. This mindfulness framework has seven features: Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Situated Intersectional Awareness, Negative Capability, Wonder, Cultural Humility, and Generosity. He will provide examples of contemplative tools that can be used to cultivate a Mindful Mindset, which will help create a fulfilling life.

Drawing from his research on janitors from five countries, Professor Mahalingam will showcase the critical role of dignity in enhancing overall well-being. Mindful living requires a commit to creating a dignity culture in our communities to cherish the dignity of self and others. By embracing a Mindful Mindset, we can learn to recognize the dignity of self and others, especially those who are often “invisible” to us.

Professor Ramaswami Mahalingam is a cultural psychologist and scholar who has won numerous awards for his research, teaching, and filmmaking (www.mindfuldignity.com). He is passionate about promoting social justice and mindfulness, and he has developed a framework called Mindful Mindset that prioritizes treating individuals with dignity. Currently, he is working to create compassionate and caring workplaces that prioritize their employees' well-being and dignity. His research focuses on exploring dignity in three different organizational settings: janitorial work, healthcare, and gender and technology.

This program is in partnership with The University of Michigan Department of Psychology.