Right-wing extremist ways of bringing religion and ethics into politics seem to be gaining ground. Reform's recent attempt to redefine empathy is a further example. They are all interlinked so this gambit is particularly dangerous. If they weren't connected, Catholic Social Teaching would be all good intentions and no action.

Gad Saad invented the term 'suicidal empathy'. He spent a decade in Concordia - formerly a Canadian Jesuit University - becoming Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioural Sciences and Darwinian Consumption (be reassured Darwinian Consumption is not the fittest eating the unfit). Saad's expertise is in consumer behaviour and marketing, food for Reform. His book Suicidal Empathy: Dying to be Kind was published in May this year and provided the main fodder for attacking the value of empathy. Lebanese born, Jewish, atheist, and polemicist, he recently left Canada. He felt threatened by, and had himself experienced, antisemitism (6,800 incidents in 2025 up 9% on 2024). He didn't like their immigration policy, 'wokeism' and the tax system. Saad currently does research in one of the most conservative US States, at the University of Mississippi.

In the rush to adapt to artificial intelligence, higher education may overlook something critical in the process: the human capacities that technology cannot replace. In my experience as a designer, educator and academic leader, meaningful innovation does not begin with technology; it begins with empathy.

This is not always how universities approach innovation education. We often emphasise technical expertise, analytical rigour and productivity. Those qualities matter deeply. But innovation that improves human lives requires something more difficult – and profound: the ability to understand people whose experiences differ from our own. That ability deserves far greater attention in higher education.

A new report reveals that workplace empathy is crucial for successful AI adoption. Businessolver's 2026 State of Workplace Empathy AI Special Report found that nearly nine in ten employees in empathetic cultures feel adequately trained and positive about AI, a stark contrast to only 33% in toxic environments. This optimism extends to job security and agency.

The study emphasizes that AI adoption is less about technology and more about emotional intelligence and a high-empathy culture. Research suggests "perspective-getting"—directly asking employees about their concerns—is far more effective than leaders guessing. Managers are advised to implement a four-step strategy: privately guess fears, ask concrete questions, compare notes, and act quickly on feedback to build trust and address anxieties. This approach fosters an environment where employees feel heard, boosting AI integration.

Do you sometimes feel like you’ve run out of empathy? Is your empathy feeling more like a burden or an obligation but you’re not feeling it? Could there be such a thing as ‘empathy burnout’?

So many of my clients tell me that all the disasters and painful events they see on screens daily can be just too much and they start to tune out. Many also tell me they feel this way in their personal or professional lives, when they have been empathising with others and their troubles all day or over a lengthy period, and now they feel numb. Does this resonate with you? Have you ever felt empathy for a long time but eventually you find yourself feeling 'done'?

Cognitive empathy: understanding someone else's experience while still knowing exactly where you end and they begin. Personal distress: a self-focused flooding where that boundary dissolves, until their pain becomes indistinguishable from yours.

e same thing, and only one of them is sustainable.

by Leiden University

There is a widespread belief that people with autism are less empathetic. In other words, that they are less able to put themselves in someone else's shoes. But is that actually true? Autism researcher Dr. Lisa Krijnen is investigating this question. The research is published in the journal Autism.

Where does this idea come from?

Both research and popular opinion have long portrayed people with autism as being less empathetic. But why is this the case?

Krijnen explains, "Partly, it may stem from the way empathy has been measured in previous studies. It is often assessed using questionnaires in which people are asked to evaluate for themselves how well they understand or relate to what someone else is thinking or feeling. Autistic people regularly report finding these kinds of questions difficult to answer."

Understanding Empathy and Universal Emotions
Introduction:

Empathy is the most critical soft skill and has been for a century. And more recently, with the Covid-19 pandemic, empathy has reinforced the enormous awareness of this vital skill.

In this eModule, you will learn the foundations of what empathy is and its importance in customer relationships. You will also interactively explore the 7 universal human emotions and corresponding facial expressions.

Compassionate Geek's empathy training programs equip IT professionals and teams with essential emotional intelligence, active listening, and interpersonal skills to transform technical support interactions. Our evidence-based curriculum combines real-world scenarios, structured video modules, and practical exercises to help IT teams reduce customer effort scores, improve satisfaction, and build lasting client relationships through compassionate, human-centered service delivery.

Instead, take the time to develop a strong empathy map of the other person. Begin by describing who you are empathizing with, including factual details such as approximate age and job role. It’s okay to include assumptions and even bias so long as you phrase them such (“I sometimes think” or “It seems to me” or “In my experience”). Continue your factual context with examples of things you have heard them say and behaviors you have observed.

Now, dive deeper by placing yourself in their position. To the best of your ability, answer questions from their perspective:

What are they trying to achieve?
What are they trying to avoid?
What are they seeing and hearing?
What are their underlying needs and wants?
What don’t I know?
What should I ask them about?
What would I want to know if I were in their situation?

Edwin Rutsch and Tim Orr meet to explore whether empathy can function as an organizing principle for civilization. Edwin argues from a secular perspective that mutual ("wholistic") empathy and deep listening can serve as the foundational bedrock for society. Tim contends that while empathy is an essential moral virtue, civilization also requires objective truth, moral value judgments, and structural frameworks to function effectively.

Tim Orr is an ordained Evangelical minister, seasoned academic, and passionate advocate for interreligious dialogue. He serves as a Research Fellow with the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy, where his scholarship focuses on the intersections of religion, ideology, contemporary anti-Semitism, and public life.

Dedicated to fostering understanding across divides, his digital ministry and platform are centered on building bridges, uniting hearts, and helping faith flourish. A contributing writer for The Times of Israel, his published essays include "Beyond the Red-Green Alliance: Empathy and Structural Asymmetry" and "Toxic Empathy is Not Love - and It's Dangerous."

Teaching: In this activity, students will discuss how responses of empathy are perceived when they originate from humans versus machines.

People increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for emotional support, with research showing that AI-generated responses are often rated as more empathetic than human responses in blind evaluations. However, a paradox emerges when the source is revealed: individuals rate the exact same messages as significantly less empathetic once they know an AI wrote them, driven by mistrust and the belief that machines lack genuine feelings. To address this, the article outlines classroom activities and discussions designed to help students critically evaluate both human-AI relational dynamics and the methodological limitations of current empathy research.

Empathy explained
This article is about empathy. But what do we actually mean when we talk about it? 

 Krijnen: 'Empathy is not always clearly defined. Does it mean understanding what other people think, do and feel? Or is it mainly about sharing in other people's emotions? Or does it refer to how you respond, for example when someone sitting next to you starts to cry?'

'The first two aspects are generally regarded as forms of empathy: understanding another person's thoughts and feelings is known as cognitive empathy, while sharing their emotions is referred to as affective empathy. How someone responds, in other words their social skills and behaviour, is sometimes included as part of empathy and sometimes considered a separate concept.'

Key Insights

• What is empathy and why does it matter for business performance?
• How does leader empathy directly affect employee retention and engagement?
• What does Dale Carnegie's global research reveal about the empathy gap in organizations today?
• How do generational differences shape the way employees perceive empathy at work?
• What eight practical actions can leaders take to build more empathy right now?
• How can organizations embed empathy into their culture, not just their training?
• Is someone else's emotional response your responsibility as a leader?

by Eugene Sepulveda 

Empathy as a source of inspiration. Empathy as a strategic asset. Empathy as toxic to our selfish ambitions.

It's been a long while since I've written more than a facebook posting for public consumption. I can get too much in my head and feel the need to cite all my sources when writing. Don't worry, I'll chill as I develop a regular cadence for these postings. Following last week's issue: Is empathy toxic?, a few readers wrote recommending other perspectives on empathy. 

When I think about empathy I remember the old adage about walking a mile in someone else's shoes. And, this reminds me of one of my chief tenets of interpersonal communication - you can't persuade or convince someone until they feel heard and understood. 

Why "Just Care More" Isn't the Fix

It's tempting to hear all this and conclude the answer is to do better; feel more, care more, in every interaction. It isn't. And the research on empathy is specific about why. Understanding someone else's experience while still knowing exactly where you end and they begin (what researchers call cognitive empathy) is different from a self-focused flooding where that boundary dissolves and their distress becomes indistinguishable from yours (personal distress). The second one isn't a deeper form of caring. Left unchecked, it produces compassion fatigue, withdrawal, and, over time, less empathy - not more.

So, the goal isn't maximum feeling. It's a specific, trainable skill: staying steady enough in your own

By Vriti Shah

Even through opposing opinions and conflicts, the way that we talk to one another is crucial for the nation to come together in making a difference. But change is not possible without actually listening to one another with empathy, understanding and solidarity, even during disagreement.

I urge you to have a conversation with your neighbors and listen to their perspectives with empathy — even if the subject ranges from best politician to best burger joint. Empathy drives us through hard and turbulent conversations; empathy drives humanity to progress to a better reality.

From healthcare providers in the UK, Europe and the US, evidence is mounting that empathy is more than a bedside virtue.
by Jeremy Howick

Organisations that support their staff and build compassionate cultures achieve better patient outcomes, lower costs and stronger performance, argues Professor Jeremy Howick at the University of Leicester.

A hospital that treats its staff well, maintains manageable workloads, fosters empathic leadership and creates an environment where people feel heard and valued: is that good management, or good medicine? The answer, it turns out, is both. And we can now measure it.

Research from England, Europe and the United States points to the same trend: empathy is not just a quality of individual clinicians. It is a characteristic of high-performing healthcare organisations.

To test whether empathy could be measured, we analysed data from 104 NHS hospital trusts in England, drawing on regulator (Care Quality Commission) ratings, staff surveys, workforce records and financial accounts.[1]  

THE COMPONENTS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

The components of good listening go much deeper than simply hearing words.

Be present with genuine concern

Turn towards the person who wants to be heard. Maintain eye contact, nod and lean in slightly. Every verbal and non-verbal gesture should communicate: “I am with you.” The attitude must be geared towards listening, not talking. Avoid all distractions, including using a mobile phone.

Use open questions

“What was that like for you?” is an example of a question that invites more sharing.

Parents and guardians are a child’s first teachers because they shape early brain growth, language and core values.

From playgrounds to sports fields to beach cleanups. Some of life’s biggest lessons happen outside the home.

“Community plays a huge role in creating opportunities for kids to get out, explore, like in sports coaches as mentors, to really role model how to navigate relationships,” said Tia Hartstock, Office of Wellness and Resilience.

In today’s leadership landscape, soft skills are undeniably en vogue. However, don’t be quick to lump empathy in with the rest. That’s because Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella firmly believes the art of comprehending others transcends the soft skills category. In his view, characterizing it as “soft” understates its significance, as he asserts that mastering empathy is, in fact, the most formidable skill of them all.

“Empathy is not a soft skill,” Nadella said in a 2023 interview with Axel Springer’s CEO Mathias Döpfner. “In fact, it’s the hardest skill we learn—to relate to the world, to relate to people that matter the most to us.”

Not only does being empathetic enable leaders to better connect with their staff, but according to Nadella, customers too.

 by  Harsh Khandelwal

In clinical terms, we might speak of dissociation, or of the protective narrowing of affect that serves as a buffer against overwhelm. But at a population level, the implications are less forgiving. Collective empathy is not merely a pleasant social nicety. It is the substrate upon which public health interventions, international aid, social solidarity, and political will are all built. When that substrate erodes quietly, without announcement, the consequences accumulate silently — in funding cuts that go unchallenged, in refugee crises met with shrugged policy, in communities that fracture inward.⁴

Evil Empathy?

Most people reading this will recoil. Empathy is supposed to be the cure for polarization and dehumanization. If we could just understand one another better, surely we would fight less. And in many cases, that intuition is right.

But in other cases, empathy does not ease our divisions. It intensifies them. It fuels moral outrage, locks us into sides, and makes constructive disagreement feel impossible.

This asymmetry is not a flaw in empathy. It’s actually its defining feature. The word empathy comes from the German Einfühlung, which roughly means “feeling into.” Empathy was never meant to be a rational spreadsheet or a cost benefit analysis. It was meant to function as an emotional bridge, a way of entering into another person’s experience by feeling with them.

Our Mission
The Wisconsin Empathy Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a culture of curiosity, deep listening, and fellowship across Wisconsin. We promote empathy as a practice—one that is active, ongoing, and essential. Through experiential learning, creative publications, and public engagement, we engage with empathy to foster personal transformation.