People in the U.S. are increasingly polarized by politics, and that polarization is spilling into the workplace. Many workers don’t know how to show empathy and behave with civility and courtesy toward colleagues, customers, and clients who disagree with them—especially as the presidential election looms.
The good news is that empathy—the ability to understand the feelings of another person—can be learned, according to Sara Konrath, a social psychologist who directs the Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis.
“We know that people can be trained to become more empathetic through a variety of programs and methods,” including role-playing exercises and “exposure to highly empathetic role models,” Konrath wrote in a Psychology Today blog post.
“Research has shown that empathy makes people better managers and workers, and better family members and friends. But it’s bigger than just its personal effect. We’re all in this together, and researchers say that connection and compassion are crucial to a sustainable and humane future. …
So what is empathy? It’s understanding how others feel and being compassionate toward them. It happens when two parts of the brain work together, neuroscientists say — the emotional center perceives the feelings of others, and the cognitive center tries to understand why they feel that way and how we can be helpful to them.”
Reported in the The New York Times on December 1, 2018, by Claire Cain Miller – U.S. journalist focusing on gender, families and the future of work.
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Biologist and primatologist Frans de Waal reminds us that empathy is not uniquely human—it’s a mammalian trait.
Empathy is the emotional bridge that binds us—not only to each other but to the animals we care for. And it’s this very quality that forms the roots of human morality.
Scientists studying empathy tested whether people would prefer to empathize with groups or with individuals using a pair of card decks, asking people to choose between describing or empathizing and then showing them a picture of an individual or a group to describe or empathize with. People were more likely to choose to empathize with a group rather than an individual, even though they reported that empathizing was difficult and unpleasant.
What makes us care about others? Scientists studying empathy have found that people are more likely to choose to empathize with groups rather than individuals, even though they find empathizing equally difficult and uncomfortable in both cases. The scientists suggest that the sight of groups of people could offer more context information which helps people decide whether to empathize, and therefore increases the chances that they choose to do so.
Empathy is a powerful force that shapes workplace culture and leadership effectiveness. Yet, under pressure, it often takes a backseat. That’s where leaders come in. The real effort is in finding ways to make empathy a natural part of how they lead—both in big-picture decisions and everyday conversations.
While many leaders equate empathy with kindness, employees seek tangible expressions such as flexible work arrangements, career development opportunities, and meaningful diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives. A Businessolver survey highlights a gap—while 86% of employees consider flexible work hours an essential demonstration of empathy, only 42% have experienced it. It’s time to move past surface-level gestures and build a culture where empathy is lived, and an integral part of leadership’s way of work!
El-Sayed argues, therefore, that the pro-democracy movement must obsessively seek to separate the posse from the bully. Which means adopting a posture that some fellow Democrats may not like: showing what he calls “radical empathy” for Trump voters, and viewing the choice millions made as an expression of desperation in an unresponsive system, a shout into the void.
That means not lapsing into the condescension toward lay voters that feels so satisfying and, oftentimes, so justified. It means not calling them Magats and brainwashed and irredeemable racists all. It means strategically biting your tongue and opening your arms. For winning’s sake.
In recent years, there has been a great deal of discussion about the importance of empathy in the workplace. Empathy helps bond colleagues together and forms the foundation of a resilient and inclusive workplace.
Although it is often underestimated as a business skill, our findings suggest that empathy skills are a business imperative and essential to success in the future of work. It is important for organizational leaders to know the following about empathy: it is possible to cultivate and develop empathy; there are three aspects of empathy: cognitive (head/thinking), affective (heart/feeling), and behavioral (action/doing); and empathy is linked to many positive outcomes that teams can leverage to become more agile and innovative in times of crises.
Nadella also highlighted empathy as a driving force behind meaningful innovation. Understanding the end-user experience, he said, is critical to anticipating needs that aren’t always visible on the surface. Even technical data, he added, can offer human insights: if one is willing to look beyond the numbers.
On the topic of rapid technological advancement, Nadella encouraged openness to change and continuous learning. As new tools reshape industries, he urged professionals to focus on how they can use these tools to amplify their own impact rather than resist them.
by Michael Ventura In an interview earlier this year with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk quipped that “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” He seemed to blame it, in part, for the decline of America’s cultural vitality. He said he believed in empathy but cast it as being “weaponized” by the woke.
For all his derision of empathy, Mr. Musk is quite good at employing it for his own needs. In fact, I’d argue he’s one of the most effective empathic operators in modern business and public life.
Though we often think of empathy as synonymous with kindness, that isn’t entirely accurate. Empathy is not the same as compassion. At its core, empathy is the ability to understand others’ perspectives — what they feel, what they think, what they fear, what they want.
Empathy connects us but strains under demanding settings. This study explored how third parties evaluated AI-generated empathetic responses versus human responses in terms of compassion, responsiveness, and overall preference across four preregistered experiments. Participants (N = 556) read empathy prompts describing valenced personal experiences and compared the AI responses to select non-expert or expert humans.
Results revealed that AI responses were preferred and rated as more compassionate compared to select human responders (Study 1). This pattern of results remained when author identity was made transparent (Study 2), when AI was compared to expert crisis responders (Study 3), and when author identity was disclosed to all participants (Study 4). Third parties perceived AI as being more responsive—conveying understanding, validation, and care—which partially explained AI’s higher compassion ratings in Study 4.
These findings suggest that AI has robust utility in contexts requiring empathetic interaction, with the potential to address the increasing need for empathy in supportive communication contexts.
The “empathy response” is chiefly the fault of women, we’re — unsurprisingly — asked to understand. “Toxic female empathy” lies at the heart of progressive politics, evangelical pastor Joe Rigney contends.
On Jan. 21, Right Rev. Mariann Budde issued a plea from the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral to the newly sworn in president to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
Her plea triggered an uproar among some of the president’s supporters. “Do not commit the sin of empathy,” tweeted Christian podcaster Ben Garrett. “This snake is God’s enemy and yours too.”
Allie Beth Stuckey, another Christian podcaster, tweeted: “This is to be expected from a female Episcopalian priest: toxic empathy that is in complete opposition to God’s Word …”
Known for railing against “the sin of empathy”, Pastor Rigney wrote in the evangelical publication “World” that Budde’s exhortation “is a reminder that feminism is a cancer that enables the politics of empathic manipulation and victimhood that’s plagued us in the era of woke-ness … [it’s] a clear example of the man-eating weed of Humanistic Mercy.”
WELLNESS WORKS: IN MAY WE'RE EXPLORING EMPATHY Upper Grand District School Board
May 1, 2025
This month we are exploring the theme of EMPATHY with students as a part of their mental health skill building. Empathy is about being able to consider what someone else may be going through and imagining how they might be feeling or thinking. It is about walking in another person’s shoes, about listening to another perspective non-judgmentally. It's about voicing our understanding of their emotions and validating them. It's about recognizing the humanity of others and challenging ourselves to be present. Empathy is often the first step towards compassionate action and helping others.
Empathy is important because with empathy we:
Are more likely to treat people the way they wish you would treat them
Are better able to understand the needs of people around you
Are able to more clearly understand the perception you create in others with your words and actions
Are able to better understand other people’s needs
Here are some activities you can do at home to reflect and bu
In the business times of yesteryear, many did not believe that empathy and understanding mixed well with sound business decisions. However, with the more recent breed of entrepreneurs, many have increasingly recognized that successful and long-lasting relationships depend on using both empathy and understanding to build a solid foundation.
The master of negotiation and Celebrity Expert(R) in this book, Chris Voss, reminds us that entrepreneurs want lasting relationships that build trust and clientele. He questions if anyone associates empathy with enterprise and entrepreneurism, and states that the qualities of trust and lasting relationships come out of understanding and respect for each other. In short, as stated by Brené Brown, "Empathy fuels connection."
Welcome to the first edition of this newsletter—where I’ll be exploring ideas around empathy, purpose, leadership, and the intersections that matter most to how we work, lead, and live.
It’s an OpEd that’s sparked a lot of spirited feedback—some of it challenging, all of it thought-provoking. The article centers on a core idea: that empathy, once widely celebrated as a virtue, is now being weaponized by some of the most influential figures in business and culture.
Yes, empathy can still be a bridge for connection, healing, and trust—but it can also be a tool for manipulation, control, and performance without accountability.
Rigney has written against “untethered empathy” for years, and he’s not the only Christian to do so. Last October, Allie Beth Stuckey of the popular Relatable podcast published Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion. Stuckey does not write as a pastor; in her world, women can’t do that. Instead she is a “content creator” and podcaster, and her book reads more like a script than a sermon. Still, there’s a logic at work, and it’s similar to Rigney Thought: Stuckey believes there is a difference between “toxic empathy” and biblical compassion. “If you really care about women, you’ll support their right to choose,” she complains. “If you’re really compassionate, you’ll welcome the immigrant.”
by Storm Newton People are more inclined to empathise with groups than individuals, according to a new study.
The research, published in Frontiers In Psychology, also suggests that empathy – the ability to understand and share another's feelings – is often perceived as a "distressing" experience compared to emotional neutrality.
The study, conducted by scientists in Sweden, involved 296 participants who were presented with two sets of images: one depicting individuals and the other showing groups of people.
Alongside the images, participants were given two decks of cards. One deck instructed them to empathise with the people in the pictures, while the other encouraged a neutral emotional response.
The war on empathy, led by Elon Musk & Donald Trump, is a war on democracy. They seek to dramatically activate and polarize the Republican party
We write a lot about empathy here at FrameLab. As Dr. George Lakoff has said, democracy depends on empathy:
American democracy is based on empathy — citizens caring about other citizens and working through their government to provide public resources for all, making both decent lives and flourishing markets possible.
Why is empathy so crucial?
The logic is simple: Empathy is why we have the values of freedom, fairness, and equality – for everyone, not just for certain individuals. If we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we will want them to be free and treated fairly. Empathy with all leads to equality: no one should be treated worse than anyone else. Empathy leads us to democracy: to avoid being subject indefinitely to the whims of an oppressive and unfair ruler, we need to be able to choose who governs us and we need a government of laws.
Many leaders dismiss empathy as an optional, “touchy-feely” skill. But failing to demonstrate it can lead to low morale, poor retention, and a culture where people withhold ideas and concerns. If you want to drive better results, use these strategies to make empathy part of how you lead—consistently and clearly.
Start with a shared definition. Without agreement on what empathy actually is, your team will default to assumptions. Collectively define empathetic behaviors—for example, perspective-taking and respectful disagreement—and be specific about how they show up in your culture.
Be other-focused. Empathy means making space for others to feel heard, not filling the silence with your own experiences. Be present. Listen deeply. Ask open-ended questions. Resist the urge to rescue or relate.
People with Alzheimer's disease may retain their ability to empathize, despite declines in other social abilities, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
The researchers found that people with Alzheimer's disease scored slightly higher on a measure of empathy than peers of the same age with mild cognitive impairment, despite scoring worse on other measures of social cognition such as recognising facial emotions and understanding the thoughts of others.
The authors of the study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia and supported by Wellcome, say this may be the first time a cognitive domain has been found to improve in dementia
“We don’t live in an age of reason; we live in an age of empathy.” Frans de Waal
Empathy. What exactly is it? Do all humans naturally exude empathy? What happens when we don’t agree with the lifestyles, life choices or actions of the people we are working with or support? When faced with morally complex decisions does empathy, rather than rational compassion, sometimes mean we get things wrong?
Aim: This one-day training course, encourages learners to embrace a more rational approach to working with customers / service users. Using up to date research and analysis, learners address their own bias and conceptions and explore how to work compassionately with all manner of customers.
Objectives: By the end of the day, all learners will have:
1. Described what is meant by empathy
2. Explained and explored the need for more rational compassion
3. Addressed the passion versus compassion debate
4. Discovered where dangerous ‘gut feelings’ can lead, especially in relation to empathy, anger, disgust and love
5. Described the importance of facts
6. Explored the difference between feeling and understanding
7. Examined the escalation factors that create challenges and conflict
8. Described how effective communication can support your colleague or customer to resolution
9. Explained how to work with all manner of customer irrespective of their lifestyle, life choices, words or actions
10. Explored meditation and self-care activities that will benefit people experiencing either empathy fatigue or burnout.
Listen to this episode from A Rumor of Empathy with Lou Agosta on Spotify. The podcast engages the difference between standard empathy and radical empathy. When standard empathy breaks down, fails, goes off the rails, in the face of confronting experiences such as trauma, compassion fatigue, soul murder, and empathic distress, then radical empathy is born and comes forth.
Radical empathy bridges the abyss of empathic distress to commitment to empathizing even in the face of empathic distress. The first in a series - find out how to take your standard empathy to the next level with radical empathy.
In this episode Scott welcomes Gad Saad, professor of marketing at Concordia University in Montreal and visiting professor at Northwood University. Professor Saad has pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. His works include several books and published papers, many at the intersection of psychology, advertising, medicine, and economics.
He’s also working on a new book Suicidal Empathy which follows the 2020 release of his previous bestseller The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense. They discuss the psychology behind irrational behavior of the public, especially young adults, and what might come next in the interplay between the media, universities, politics, and public behavior.
Positive Empathy Can Enhance Well-Being Empathy is not a simple experience. It involves understanding the perspective of another, feeling what another is feeling, and caring about another’s emotions. The impact of empathy on well-being depends upon how each of its dimensions are used. The impact on well-being varies also with the emotion that is shared, with different outcomes resulting from sharing another’s sadness or sorrow and participating in another’s joy.
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 (Depow, Oldemburgo de Mello, & Inzlicht, 2025). 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.
India has a rich history of innovation driven by empathy, where brands have created successful products by understanding the real needs of users. One of the most notable and recent examples in the digital product space is UPI (Unified Payments Interface) by NPCI.
Small businesses and individuals struggling with digital payments and financial inclusion were provided with a seamless, instant mobile payment system without the need for credit cards. A perfect example of how an idea driven by empathy revolutionised digital transactions in India, with over 10 billion transactions per month.
Innovation by Observation Over a span of two decades, I have had the opportunity to work with many brands that have leveraged on my unique design process “Innovation by Observation”, which holds empathy at the heart of innovation. So, what do I do? Well, nothing much… just observe people in their surroundings and empathise with their genuine needs, which are seldom spelt but often felt. And… bingo! I have my new innovative product idea!
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