Dr Julian Abel
TEDx Talk: The Power of Compassionate Communities
ABOUT JULIAN:
Dr Julian Abel spent his clinical life as a palliative care specialist doctor. He has developed a special interest in compassionate communities, initially as part of supporting people undergoing experiences of death, dying, loss and care giving. Since 2016 he has worked with Frome Medical Practice applying the compassionate community approach to healthcare in general, with some startling results. He is Director of Compassionate Communities UK, a charity which aims to share the lessons learnt in both palliative care and primary care more broadly.
Julian, we’re so excited to have you back speaking at TEDxRoyal Tunbridge Wells. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea that changes everything?
Many of us were taught at school that the driving force for evolutionary biology was survival of the fittest. It turns out that this could not be further from the truth. Survival of the kindest is a much better description of human evolution and when the evidence of this is sought out, it can be seen everywhere. It is found in communities, in our biochemistry, genomics, structure and function of our nervous systems and everywhere else we care to look. Furthermore, the roots of this can be found throughout the 600 million years of animal evolution. Humans did not just survive but flourished across the globe because of the survival advantage of kindness, compassion and cooperation. The largely unacknowledged sense of belonging is one of the most powerful drives we have.
This simple switch, from survival of the fittest to survival of the kindest, opens our eyes to a new world. No longer does winner take all, Rather, we are all in this together. There are no winners or losers, just simply the survival of the planet. When these principles are applied, the results are transformative. Compassionate Frome transformed healthcare. Examples exist in politics, business, economics, education and without the sense of interdependence and survival of the kindest, the environmental catastrophe will continue unabated as it has done over the last 100 years. This talk will give examples of this transformation that are already in place. We don’t need anything new, we just need to work together in a world community.
What was the main motivation for coming back to give a TEDx talk?
I have been a detective over the last 5 years, looking deeply into why the Frome Project had such extraordinary results. I discovered that the lessons of biology, of survival of the kindest are transformative. Switching from fittest to kindest can transform our world and the practical examples of this happening are out there. I want everyone to know about this!
How does your talk fit in with our 2025 event theme “Next Steps”?
I have found that when I present these ideas, people breath a sigh of relief because it chimes with their personal experience. This is an inspiration for life, to recognise the importance of relationships and kindness. It can be transformative and hopefully inspirational, which is what it’s about!
What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
Survival of the kindest can transform everything. I hope the audience takes this idea and places it in their hearts.
