Maff Potts on how magical contexts create altruism
Michael Little from Ratio in conversation with Maff Potts, founder of Camerados about how magical contexts spark altruism.
The Association of Camerados was founded with the belief that the answer to our problems is each other. The movement they’ve created is focused on bringing friendship and purpose to people’s lives.
One manifestation of this work is the placement of a teepee in the foyer of Blackpool hospital. About 1,000 people visit weekly. It leads them to connect with strangers. This experience appears to bring out the better side of visitors, the part of them drawn to altruism. With so many people using the teepee, the effects are felt across the hospital boosting patient and staff satisfaction.
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So what have the Association of Camerados learned through this innovation? Lots of things. One thing — according to Maff Potts — is that it’s the space that matters:
“Knowing that relationships is the answer isn’t enough. Knowing that you need to create spaces for people to connect isn’t enough. It’s how you do it that matters, and I never saw that. We’ve learned that there are various things you have to do in this space to create that feeling of equality and empowerment.”
In this podcast, Michael Little and Maff Potts talk more about the successes and failures of this work. Listen to it on iTunes or SoundCloud here:
