Avoiding the trap that sends us down the wrong path.
During my research and work on empathy with individuals, teams, and organisations, I witness a common mistake. When I point out this error a eureka expression appears on the face in front of me. It suddenly seems obvious, yet the trap is easy to fall into, and the danger of doing so is perhaps exacerbated by our haste to understand another human being’s situation.
Empathy has so much to offer us in our personal and professional endeavours. It empowers us with insight, allowing us to make better-informed decisions. All the more important, then, that we empathise as wisely and accurately as possible.
In the modern workplace, where change is constant and challenges are abundant, the importance of empathy cannot be overstated. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, serves as a powerful catalyst for creating a healthy workplace culture. It is not merely a soft skill; it is a fundamental aspect of effective leadership and team dynamics.
A culture grounded in empathy fosters a sense of belonging among employees. When individuals feel understood and valued, they are more likely to engage fully with their work and contribute positively to their teams. Empathy encourages open communication, allowing team members to express their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment. This openness nurtures trust, which is essential for collaboration and innovation.
Empathy on Purpose challenges the notion that empathy is an inherent quality, offering a practical and actionable approach for leaders seeking to cultivate this crucial skill. The book emphasizes that empathy is a method that can be learned and applied to improve leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and workplace culture.
Key topics include:
Understanding the three types of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and compassionate.
Avoiding common empathy pitfalls such as "Deer in the Headlights," "Fixer Upper," and "Spin Master."
Implementing the R.A.C.S.E. framework for practical application of empathy in various situations.
Building empathy into teams and organizational systems.
"Empathy on Purpose" provides leaders with the tools and strategies to create a more connected, collaborative, and high-performing work environment.
Radical Empathy by David Wells WORLD PREMIERE Radical Empathy is not about you. When an American college professor’s TED Talk on empathy goes viral, he meets an Iraqi man who becomes a fixture in his virtual classroom. But when the brutality of the U.S.-led invasion hits the Iraqi man directly, the professor is forced to explore “the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.” (Isabel Wilkerson) A true story.
In this powerful debut solo episode, Dr. Payal Beri explores a growing crisis that’s often ignored: the quiet unraveling of empathy in our modern world. From casual disengagement to emotional burnout, she unpacks how societal apathy and hyper-individualism are not just dividing us — they’re dismantling the very fabric of human connection.
Through deeply personal stories and thought-provoking insights, Dr. Beri challenges us to reflect on how avoidance, fear, and overload have made empathy feel optional. She asks the question: What happens when we stop caring? And more importantly, what can we do to reclaim our shared humanity?
I’ve worked long and hard in the world of faith-based community outreach. This podcast nails it. For myself, I have found that my empathy levels decrease when I don’t pull back regularly to recharge. Burnout is a key denominator in the fall of community workers. Worth the listen!
One of the most powerful qualities to possess in one’s character is the ability to practice true empathy. Not some form of surface-level compassion, but radical, immersive empathy — the kind that doesn’t just acknowledge someone’s pain or joy but fully inhabits it. To feel what they feel, to see the world through their eyes and to let that perspective transform the way you think, speak, build and lead without judgment.
By empathy we mean the ability to understand the emotions and point of view of another person and use this understanding to guide future action. This process involves the activation of complex functions on many levels, although neuroscience have taught us that it is part of the genetic equipment of our species and is probably one of the most powerful engines of evolution.
What is Emotional Empathy? Emotional empathy is about creating a deeper connection with others by understanding and sharing their feelings. It's not just about feeling sorry for someone, but rather about putting yourself in their shoes and imagining how they're feeling. This empathetic understanding helps to build trust, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive and supportive environment.
Key Aspects of Emotional Empathy It's about understanding and sharing feelings Creates a deeper connection with others Essential for building strong relationships The following mind map illustrates the key aspects of emotional empathy:
A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that people value empathy more when they believe it comes from a human, even if the actual response was generated by AI. The research reveals that human-attributed responses are perceived as more supportive, more emotionally resonant, and more caring than identical AI-generated responses.
Why empathy matters Empathy: the act of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experience of another.
There are two types of empathy, cognitive and affective. Cognitive empathy refers to one’s ability to logically understand how and why someone would think and feel a certain way in a certain situation. Affective empathy, on the other hand, refers to one’s ability to share the feelings of others, though they may differ from our own feelings. In the world of policing, empathy is a tool that is essential for performing your duties.
You need empathy to read a room.
You need empathy to get inside the mind of a suspect.
You need empathy to intentionally and expertly help a buddy who isn’t OK.
Most cops like to stick with cognitive empathy, and for good reason. In law
How did we become so divided? For an answer, look no further than the way that empathy has been weaponized by both the left and right.
As is evident from Trump’s crackdown on protests outside US immigration detention facilities, the present occupant of the White House has no interest in stepping into the shoes of people who do not share his world view, least of all those infected with the “woke mind virus”. Instead, in MAGA circles empathy is increasingly derided as an irrational emotion that tricks us into having compassion for the “wrong” sorts of people, whether they be Mexican immigrants, Islamist terrorists or biological women “posing” as men.'
According to Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of marketing and evolutionary psychologist, such empathy is “suicidal” because it prompts us to act compassionately towards those who might do us harm. Saad’s favourite example is Karsten Nordal Hauken, a Norwegian man who was raped by a Somalian refugee and who describes himself as a feminist and anti-racist. In Saad’s telling, Hauken is now racked with guilt because his rapist is at risk of deportation to Somalia, a notoriously homophobic country. Other examples that Saad, a Jew of Syrian and Lebanese ancestry, likes to cite are Jews who make common cause with Hamas.
A Window Into Empathy This research adds to a growing understanding that the brain is constantly processing social information, much of it below conscious awareness. The next challenge is to figure out how to help people access and trust those latent signals more effectively—improving social connection and reducing loneliness.
As the authors note, effective social signaling and accurate inference are foundational to human relationships. By clarifying how these processes unfold in the brain, we move closer to understanding—and perhaps enhancing—the empathy that keeps our communities connected.
Depending on where you look, the world seems more divided than ever before. In many ways, society’s love of individualism has isolated us. Combined with the hyper-tailored tech algorithms, this has created more siloed conversations and polarizing viewpoints. With such a system to navigate, it’s no surprise that empathy for your fellow man isn’t often prioritized.
But the truth is that a mass turn to empathy is necessary at this juncture. Nothing will come of dehumanizing others. Now more than ever, we must harness the power of human connection to guide meaningful change, and those in leadership positions can lead the way with their actions.
Empathy fosters a positive work environment. Empathetic leaders and managers can create a supportive and inclusive work environment. Employees who feel understood and appreciated are more engaged and motivated. Empathy in the workplace can lead to higher job satisfaction, reducing employee turnover and the associated costs of hiring and training new staff.
“Leadership is about empathy,” said entertainer Oprah Winfrey. “It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.
Carl Jung’s Warning About Empaths — It’s Darker Than You Think | Carl Jung Original 🌌 In this hauntingly powerful message inspired by the original writings and teachings of Carl Jung, we explore the hidden, archetypal shadow of the empath.
🕊️ Empathy is praised as virtue—but Jung knew better. Behind the sensitivity lies a dangerous threshold, where the line between compassion and possession vanishes. The empath becomes not a healer, but a sponge for the world’s unresolved pain.
📖 In this full-length audio experience, discover:
Why Carl Jung believed unconscious empathy leads to psychic fragmentation
How empaths become vessels for ancestral and archetypal wounds
The mythic warning signs that your soul is not your own The path of individuation: reclaiming spiritual sovereignty The difference between witnessing pain and absorbing it 💡 This isn’t spiritual romanticism. This is psychological initiation. 🕯️ Listen closely—and ask yourself: “Is this feeling mine?”
I used to think empathy was my superpower. I could walk into a room and instantly feel the tension between colleagues, sense when my friend was masking heartbreak with laughter, absorb the anxiety of strangers on the subway. I wore this sensitivity like a badge of honor until the day I realized it was slowly killing me.
The breaking point came during a family dinner. My sister mentioned her job stress, my mother shared her health concerns, and my father complained about his commute. Within minutes, I was carrying everyone’s emotional baggage while they continued eating dessert. That night, I lay awake replaying their problems, crafting solutions they never asked for, feeling responsible for pain that wasn’t mine.
Empathy is more than just feeling sorry for someone It’s about understanding their emotions, seeing the world through their eyes, and responding with compassion. Sometimes, the right words can open our hearts and deepen our awareness of others' struggles. These 10 powerful quotes offer insight into what empathy truly means and why it’s so essential in a divided world.
Leading with empathy requires us to have humility in complex situations—seeking to understand and be strategic instead of using assumptions and quick reactions.
That’s why I teach people to be consciously curious. It’s the practice of slowing down our judgments, letting go of the need for instant certainty, and asking better questions to explore. Assumptions might work fast, but we need more than speed. Here’s how to do it.
When an American college professor’s TED Talk on empathy goes viral, he meets an Iraqi man who becomes a fixture in his virtual classroom. But when the brutality of the U.S.-led invasion hits the Iraqi man directly, the professor is forced to explore “the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.” (Isabel Wilkerson) A true story.
In a world of negative events and suffering, empathy can mean expanding sorrow to those who care. Does empathy make it more difficult to nurture those in need?
"Recent research suggests that while psychology has focused primarily on empathy with suffering, it is important to explore also how empathizing with positive emotions can provide benefits for the well-being of the empathizer. Empathy with positive emotion has been shown to be protective against depression. When you share another’s joy, they can celebrate it again with you, to your mutual benefit and the strengthening of the relationship. Empathizing with another’s happiness, together with compassion—care or concern for the other—has been referred to as appreciative joy."
In our hyperconnected age, everyone has something to say—on social media, in meetings, at home, and in the constant stream of texts and notifications. We are awash in words.
Yet more than ever, people are desperate for something rarer and more precious than information: to be truly heard.
Listening is an act of generosity, attention, and care. It’s the foundation of strong relationships, effective leadership, creative collaboration, and social healing. But real listening—listening that goes beyond “waiting to talk”—is surprisingly hard, and getting harder.
Why does listening matter so much? What gets in the way? And how can you reclaim the art of listening for a richer, more meaningful life?
Empathy and (or vs?) AI In an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, Stein’s insights carry both beauty and warning.
Today’s AI systems can produce what appear to be empathic responses. Chatbots can offer words of comfort, algorithms can detect sadness in a voice or hesitation in a text. These responses may sound convincingly human. But what they lack, Stein would insist, is presence.
The emotional language of AI, no matter how polished, is not rooted in a real lived engagement with another’s experience. It is imitation without consciousness.
That said, artificial intelligence can still serve, not substitute, empathy. AI tools can suggest gentler ways to phrase difficult truths, helping real people communicate with more compassion. When used this way — as an assistant rather than a replacement — AI can amplify and even fine-tune our capacity for attentiveness and care.
Empathetic leadership tip: Block a day or two in your quarterly roadmap for rest and reflection. Subsidize or sponsor self-care. Dedicate time to community care: a 30- to 60-minute session each quarter to check in on stressors and wins. This reflection time goes a long way toward building a culture of trust and connection. Make it actionable by committing to one small, measurable shift (e.g., enforcing a no-email hour, swapping a seated meeting for a walk-and-talk).
By Dev Patnaik That insight ultimately grew into my first book, Wired to Care. The book’s premise is fairly straightforward: a business has a greater chance of success when every person in the company has a gut-level intuition for the people they serve—the folks beyond their walls. That widespread intuition needs to be more than just a market research activity. It needs to be the result of culture.
When Wired to Care was published, most people weren’t using the word empathy in business. Empathy, after all, is seen as something soft. Something weak. And business—American business, anyway—is a culture steeped in the language of war. Companies have targets and beachheads. They assign chiefs of staff and war rooms. They launch ad campaigns and price wars. Within that context, empathy seemed out of place. I may have been better off choosing a word like intelligence or intuition. The irony isn’t lost on me that using the term empathy may have demonstrated a lack of empathy for my audience. But empathy captured something deeper, more instinctive, than intelligence ever could. And so, empathy it had to be…
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