By Dr. Clarice Peres and Camila Rodil (14 years old – The Ethical Planet)
On one of these lovely summer afternoons Camila and I talked about what solidarity means in our lives.
Camila: Solidarity is an awareness of shared interests, values, beliefs or goals with other people.
Clarice: Exactly… It’s about US and not only ME!
It’s being EGOLESS and having empathy, love, respect, kindness, understanding, and synergy; it’s the union of sympathies, ideas and ideals. A reciprocal social responsibility that we so much need to continue existing as a society.
When I prepare my patients in the hospital for an Electro Encephalogram (EEG) session or for a brain magnetic resonance (MRI), I cannot measure or map the solidarity in the activity in my patient’s brain. I can’t even monitor the electrical activity when she imagines himself or we simulate a collaborative situation. A spectroscopy is not able to signal changes in the structure of the brain under solidarity “effects”. When I investigate the patterns of electrical brain oscillations, finally the neural mechanisms, I cannot yet identify the solidarity there either. But despite this I know that this same patient is supportive because she collaborates with other patients smaller than her in not being nervous when entering these large fMRI/MRS neuroimaging machines, saying:
– Don’t worry, it is a comfortable machine and it will look like that you are entering a spaceship!
Camila: Wow this is super cool! I believe, Solidarity implies experiencing a sense of togetherness with others. It can be standing together for something, such as a cause. It can be mutual support within a group. It can mean feeling empathy towards someone because you have had a similar experience or have similar ideas.
So, in order to show solidarity, we need to listen, understand and show empathy to others!
During the worst times of the Coronavirus pandemic, many people showed solidarity to others. People played music for others from their balconies, posted messages of support to healthcare workers and delivered groceries to the door of more vulnerable people. Those are all examples of solidarity.
Clarice: Speaking from a neuropsychology perspective, I believe that human beings, due to our evolutionary complexity, we “record” this need for solidarity in our genetic memory to keep our species alive, by ethical collaboration. Only through collaboration we will be able to survive. Our nature, ethos, is social. Even if our brains believe in fiction, it is better to be solidary!
Camila: Lately, I have experienced solidarity when making new friends for my freshman year of high school. Being in the same situation as other freshmen allows us to form new bonds based on our shared situation.
A pleasure for me to have this moment of solidarity with you Camila!
Yes Clarice is super cool for me too!
Authors: Camila Rodil, 14 years old student, she loves acting, she wants to be a Hollywood actress, and she’s a dancer, and Dr. Clarice Peres, neuroscientist, psychologist, writer, and sailor.
