Are you an empath?
This week’s article focuses on a recent study update that measured levels of empathy among young adults. Empathy, if you’re not aware, refers to “…the compassionate capacity to detect and feel others’ emotions coupled with an ability to understand another person’s perspective” (Lumer 2024). Lumer’s CNN article (click HERE) reports on a decade’s long study of empathy levels of young people. Between 1970 and 2009, levels of empathy had been decreasing, which along with the increased polarization of our country has some undesirable implications, to say the least. But social psychologist Sara Konrath’s recent update to a longitudinal study of empathy levels of young adults has yielded some promising results. Apparently, young people (early 20’s and high school seniors) have shown increased levels of empathy-taking in their relationships. Maybe you’re unfamiliar with the term empathy so keep reading. Also, this piece includes some nice recommendations on how to grow your “empathy muscle.”
Not sure whether you’re an empath? Take a quiz (click HERE) and find out.
Thoughts?
Lumar, Riane. (2024) “Empathy is on the rise in young people. Here’s how to build yours.” from Empathy is on the rise in young people. Here’s how to build yours | CNN.
I believe empathy is a very important part of our lives. Honestly, over the last few years, I have become a little more spiritual person and I believe empathy is a powerful solution to communicate with even the most difficult people and is the key to compassionate communication that melts down barriers that prevent us from loving. Having empathy helps us perceive the similarities and humanity we share with others, rather than differences separating us or making the loved one an enemy. When you act out of a feeling coming from the center of your heart, instead of judgment or anger, others become more receptive and less rigid in their views. Then it is much easier to find related points.
For me, empathy is something that I was taught from a very young age and I have consistently tried to practice it over the course of my life. To read that empathy levels have been decreasing from the 1970’s to 2009 is not a statistic that I find particularly surprising. In my experience, I believe this decline could be possibly attributed to social media and the increase in self absorption among young people. It is easy for one to think about themselves/their problems all day and never put much thought into how others may be feeling/doing. I thought it was interesting how Konrath noted that experts state that face-to-face communication is a key part of building empathy, in an increasingly digital world. I also appreciate how the authors of the article emphasized how important empathy is for building the future.
Growing up, whenever I was afraid of the harsh realities of the world, my dad always said, “most people are good”. I think this article, especially the section titled “misperceptions matter,” supports this idea. The reality is that people are more alike than we think we are and the misperception that we are radically different comes from people and institutions who benefit from dividing us against each other. One example of institutions that benefit from dividing us is political parties. These groups purposefully vilify the opposing group in order to secure more support for their party.
I think people are beginning to realize that we are all alike and that, at the end of the day, all most people want is the best for society as a whole. This could be a reason why empathy is growing. People are beginning to agree that most people are good, so they are more likely to take each other’s opinions and situations into account.
I took the empathy quiz and I have an high level of empathy which before I took the quiz I figured I would have a high level of empathy. My childhood was not the greatest because I never had anyone to go to other than my siblings and my grandpa. Even when I moved in with my grandparents, I didn’t go to them. I just counted on my siblings! And I believe thats where I have got my empathy from. They are always there for me and I am always there for them. I have empathy for all my friends and I would say I didn’t start having empathy for my grandparents until 3-4 years ago. I think having empathy is very important in life and society as a whole. When anyone would disagree with me especially my grandparents, I would leave the conversation and be angry but now I am always willing to listen to their perspective. Once someone learns to have empathy, it becomes really easy. You just have to be patient and listen. In the article, it says, “Even if you don’t agree with the other person … engaging in that kind of discussion can then lead them to be more willing to listen to you and try to understand your perspective,” Brodkin said. “That increased mutual understanding could take the edge off the angry tone of the dialogue and the tendency to kind of accuse the other side of being all bad.” I will say its a little harder for me to show empathy through text messaging. But in person, phone calls or facetimes is much easier for me to show empathy for that person. I am sure someone would say the same.
The discussion on empathy in these polarized times is insightful. While the divide in society often makes it seem like empathy is diminishing, the findings by Sara Konrath show a hopeful trend among young people who are actively engaging in perspective-taking and empathic concern. It’s critical to remember that empathy is not fixed; it can be nurtured. As Jamil Zaki emphasizes, fostering real conversations can dismantle misconceptions about others’ views, reducing conflict and promoting understanding. Encouraging face-to-face interactions is vital in a digital era where communication can lead to disconnect. Ultimately, empathy is essential for healthy democratic engagement and community building.
I do believe I am an empathetic person, and I’ve seen how this trait affects my interactions with others. Being able to listen deeply and consider different perspectives allows me to connect with people from various backgrounds and beliefs. Empathy helps me bridge gaps and build rapport, even in challenging conversations. I often strive to create safe spaces for dialogue, where individuals feel valued and heard. This approach not only enhances my personal relationships but also contributes to a more inclusive environment. I think that by practicing and promoting empathy, we can cultivate a sense of shared humanity, reminding ourselves that, despite our differences, we all grapple with our unique struggles and joys. In this way, empathy becomes not just a personal attribute but a powerful tool for social change, fostering cooperation and understanding in our increasingly fragmented world.
The need for individuals with strong empathy is on the rise. This quality is particularly important in professions within the social services sector, where understanding and empathizing with others is crucial. Empathy is an authentic way to genuinely care for and provide support to those in need. It’s heartening to see that the younger generation is displaying increased levels of empathy, which suggests that society is moving towards a more compassionate and supportive direction. This shift bodes well for addressing the struggles faced by many in today’s world and indicates that we are learning how to effectively extend a helping hand to those in need.
I grew up with the concept of empathy. Riane Lumer describes empathy as “the compassionate capacity to detect and feel others’ emotions coupled with an ability to understand another person’s perspective.” As a highly sensitive individual, I often struggled to cope with the brokenness in the world. I remember when I found out about the Florida school shootings in middle school, I had to leave class because I was so upset and heartbroken about the people involved. My empathy benefitted me as a camp counselor, as I could hear my camper’s stories and cry with them. However, the emotional toll of feeling the weight of everybody else’s hurt consumed me. This article emphasizes the benefits of cultivating empathy to decrease polarization and increase connections. I do agree that the world would benefit from greater levels of overall empathy. However, as I shared, empathy can make life in the real world significantly harder. Higher support levels need to accompany an increase in empathy, whether in people’s individual lives or at a systemic level. I had not considered empathy as a muscle that one could work on to increase its strength, but I appreciated Riane Lumer’s suggestions to begin practicing greater empathy.
Empathy is such an important part of not just interpersonal relationships, but also life in general. Living a life where you are empathetic may show others that it is okay to let down their walls and be empathetic as well. It also just helps you live a more positive life in my opinion and at the end of the day, life is only going to be as good as you make it within the bounds of your controllable aspects. I think it provides hope that there has been a bit of an increase with young adults being more empathetic. I think that this rise may be because there has been a lot of turmoil both in the United States and the world in the recent years and maybe this generation has decided to show love and care versus joining in on the hate.
I took the empathy questioner, and I was rated as highly empathetic. The first time I knew I was an empath was when I first volunteered at a nursing home growing up and all I wanted to do was make all of them smile. This led to countless hours of painting their nails, playing games, and just chatting with them. I have always felt very Intune with people’s emotions even to a fault. My initial reaction is to always ask them what’s going on and to try to help or listen as best I can. With all of that being said, I can definitely say I am an empath and though I am a bit biased, I think it’s very important to be like this with others and within yourself.
As Riane Lumer (2024) discusses how empathy began to decline between 1979 and 2009 for American college students and high school seniors, it is vital to examine how empathy has since increased, and how we can adopt different strategies to show empathy towards others. One highlight that Lumer (2024) discussed, and stood out to me, was perspective taking. Moreover, since I have been working as a Registered Behavior Technician for over a year, we teach various “Social Skills” to children with higher-functioning autism, and perspective-taking is one of the social skills we most heavily reinforce. As such, it is interesting to see how recently not only are American college students, including myself, demonstrating an increase in empathy, but are also teaching it to the younger generations.
Additionally, as an individual in their early 20s, I highly agree that not only is our empathy towards others increasing, but I also believe it increases our self-empathy and sympathy skills, as we treat ourselves with more kindness and compassion. Alas, we are frequently exposed to global issues and are more cognizant of how everyone encounters hardships. However, as a result, especially as forms of media (social media, television, newspaper) become more utilized by individuals in society, I believe American college students and high school seniors become more interested in the experiences of others, and this allows them to further enhance their perspective taking skills by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.
The thing that caught my eye was the face-to-face conversation deficit. I think that it is important to fully understand what people are saying and how they are trying to say it. I know for me, it is hard to express how I am feeling over the phone. As technology advances I feel like we are losing the face to face interactions with everybody. I did not get my first phone until I was able to drive. I did not understand why my parents wouldn’t give me one sooner until now. They wanted me to stay connected to people through face-to-face interactions. This builds character. It is crazy how you can misunderstand a text, but when you are in person you can read the other person’s body language and understand what they are saying.
I think empathy is one of the most important components of communication. Being able to be empathetic allows for deeper connections and understanding of the human condition. Empathy is a tool of communication that can be developed by practicing it. I first heard of the term empath, as I was being told I was one, when I was explaining to a social worker the feeling of constantly being bogged down with other people’s emotions and how hard it was to shake that off at the end of a work day. I work helping find solutions for people experiencing homelessness and the difficulties can be a lot to take on. I was completely startled and immediately brushed them off. After doing much research, I am a firm believer in this ability. I believe I am a better person for being an empath.
I LOVED this article as lack of empathy, or my perceived lack of empathy is something that I seem to notice more and more of the older I get. I loved that this article touched on the face-to-face deficit. I worked from home during COVID for about three years and I remember “returning” to society and thinking that everyone seemed more stressed out or less friendly out in my community and online. I wonder how much of a role COVID has had on this deficit? Teenagers and younger students were at home during a time that I feel is important to interact and develop empathy skills. Either way, interesting article on where we could all do better and to see an increase in empathy.
This article on empathy was fascinating. There is a need for empathy during our current political climate. The current separation that is growing on both sides of politics is creating a realm where people are very definite on how they are feeling and that others should feel the same. The differences of opinions are causing people to shut down and not communicate their feelings to each other in the hopes of not causing an argument. People are using their cell phones to distract themselves from conversations while viewing items that make them happy. I thought the quiz was a good way to remind yourself to be more open to conversations and to share time with people. The clip from Bill Maher put into perspective the need to communicate with everyone thus creating a more aligned country.