Two links - 2 links to a deeper understanding of what it is to be human.
First - this is about teachers, and we should remember it EVERY time the government budget is discussed. Why? Truism: you get what you pay for.
http://front.moveon.org/the-most-aggressive-defense-of-teachers-youll-hear-this-year
Next - did you ever wonder how Darwin's theory - survival of the fittest - manages to cover niceness? I know I have - and personally, I think it should be survival of the possible-est, because I think that there is something of "if it is POSSIBLE to survive" for a permutation - then we have seen that permutation at some time. However - nice behavior - being a good neighbor, the good samaritan, altruism, have often been the topic of a deep conversation about mankind. Here are some links that shed scientific light on how these things came to be.
http://www.radiolab.org/2010/dec/14/one-good-deed-deserves-another/
http://www.radiolab.org/2010/dec/14/
These are mind-enriching material. Enjoy!
