On September 19th, Loomis Chaffee hosted its first convocation speaker for the 25-26 school year. Per tradition, the first convocation of each year is dedicated to the school theme, and this year was no different. A physician, New York Times best-selling author, and class of ‘82 graduate, Dr. Pauline W. Chen was invited by the head of school, Ms. Soja, to speak about what it means to be human.
When asked about her decision to speak for this convocation, Dr. Chen revealed that she thought the talk would prove a fun challenge while allowing her to share her expertise on a subject she thinks is important for our generation to consider. In a post-convocation interview, she reflects: “We’re at a point in our human history where questions of who we are, what we can do, and what we should do are more important than ever. So I think it’s really important to look at the topic of what is human rights now because your generation, probably more than any other generation, is going to be going through this in a way that previous generations haven’t.”
During the convocation, Dr. Chen shared her insight into the new discipline of social neuroscience. Specifically, she introduced the idea that surges in certain neurotransmitters allow humans to tell stories, particularly through the abilities to create suspense, maintain attention, and feel rewarded by listening. Past the biological underpinnings of the humanness of storytelling, she was also fascinated by how storytelling actually strengthens our own identity. “[In storytelling], we create what’s called narrative identity,” she explains. “And by putting the story of our lives together, we can affect how we view ourselves, how we view our place in the world, and how we view our futures.”
To achieve this narrative identity, Dr. Chen believes a great listener is needed for every story, which further makes storytelling so human in its ability to create an audience, build connections, and capture attention. “But for me,” she says, “The most important part about being human is the ability to pay attention with empathy, to bear witness, to fully give yourself over to someone else’s story, to someone else’s dialogue or discourse. For me, [being human] is the ability to offer your attention.”
So, when asked to share an experience in which she felt the most human in her interview, Dr. Chen’s story was unsurprisingly one filled with genuine listening and sincere empathy. She described her encounter as a physician in training with a WWII veteran who contracted lung cancer but made the decision not to receive further treatment. Dr. Chen vividly remembers the last conversation she had with him during one of her nights on call: “That night, he told me a few stories of his life. When he was done, he said, ‘Thank you for just listening to me.’ He died not too long after, but that moment, that moment in the middle of the night, where he’s telling me stories about his life, was just so human.”
Looking back at her experiences in clinical work resulting in having a front row seat to humanity, Dr. Chen realizes moments like these are when the ability to tell a story and listen becomes an essential part of what makes us human. At the same time, Dr. Chen encourages us to find strength in these moments: “When I see the kinds of things that people will do, the kind of courage that they display, often because of love, because of another human being, it’s really, really moving.”
