Empathy can it be learned

Some people are genetically inclined to be highly empathic or not. But, generally, we develop empathy as children , primarily through observing how others show it. We may be on the receiving end of expressions of empathy and come to value it for the emotional benefits it had for us. Then we may show empathy ourselves and receive a positive response, such as praise or a smile, that reinforces our actions. Some children are more fortunate than others with the number of episodes of empathy they observe and responses they receive for showing it.

To actively teach children empathy , parents can explain their own emotions during significant events. They can also discuss the emotions of the child as well as those of others. They can point out the connection between events and emotions. Parents can model empathy by showing it when the child has a strong emotion, whether fear, surprise or something else.

Many parents, health-care professionals, teachers, work supervisors and romantic partners would likely benefit from higher levels of empathy. As would anyone low in empathy for whatever reason. Researchers have examined whether it is possible to increase cognitive, emotional and behavioural empathy through formal training.

The methods used to teach someone to be more empathic are in many ways similar to those used to teach a new dance or how to give a good public speech.

Training typically includes four elements. The first part usually involves instruction about the benefits of showing empathy, how to identify emotions in others, how to feel those emotions and how to comment appropriately on them. Next comes providing models of a person showing empathy in response to something another has said or done.

The models can be live, on video or audio, or written. Not all of us are born natural empaths. Most individuals will learn empathy while growing up through observing the interactions of those around them. Here are three ways you can actively practice empathy in your daily life. Start by learning about how other people live. Read articles and books from people of different backgrounds, volunteer at a social organization or start a conversation with a new co-worker or acquaintance! Being curious about others beyond your current social circle, having honest conversations with them and learning about their lives expands your ability to be empathetic.

To make an empathetic connection with someone, it must go both ways — simply listening to them does not forge this connection. Instead, when people open up to you about their feelings, view it as an opportunity for you to identify with them and be vulnerable to them.

Take the time to listen to them actively to understand where they are coming from without trying to problem solve right away.

You might not have been in their exact position, but you can imagine or think back to a time where you had similar feelings and emotions. We all have innate biases, most commonly centred around our race, gender, age or other visible features. Though empathy is necessary to forge a better understanding between people of different cultures and belief systems, science says our brains may be wired to empathize more with people who look like us.

A recent study published in Trends of Cognitive Science examined brain scans to better understand how the brain works in relation to racial bias and empathy. Consistently, people had increased neural responses to the perceived pain of the same-race compared with other-race individuals in many areas of the brain, at different times.

All the more reason for empathy to taught at a young age. As a leading example, Krznaric mentioned Roots of Empathy , a Canadian-based global non-profit that teaches young, school-aged children to empathize with each other.

According to their research summary , children who participated in the program were approximately 50 percent less lightly to fight. Or, as Sauvage points out, we could shift wellbeing to the forefront of our priorities. Empathy is one of the key competencies in EI. One would think then that coaching for empathy would be a no-brainer when it comes to leadership development skills.

Coaching for empathy is a skill that benefits leaders and organizations and it is taught because people matter. First, two things need to be understood:. A workplace study by Businessolver found a gap exists between CEOs and their employees. As a motivator of engagement, having your people feel understood and cared about can be a more potent driver than money and have other spin-off benefits such as retention and the organizational bottom line.

Threat to our values and needs — things such as competence, autonomy, certainty and inclusion. The perception of threat to one or more of these values can trigger our emotions, which can negatively impact our thinking, not to mention functional relationships.