Why Empathy Is Needed More Than Ever

Empathy is more necessary than ever in difficult times. It should not be missing in any setting, public or private. It should be present in every person, in every mind that aims to serve others, lead a country or simply safeguard others and himself.

Now, something that we psychologists know well is that such value in our human condition is not always applied effectively. Let’s think about it.

It is not the same to feel the pain or the needs of others than to understand them and decide to be useful. Between feeling and acting there is a great chasm that not everyone dares to bridge to create bridges, to mobilize energy and resources for the common good.

At the end of the day, that is the true purpose of empathy: to promote the survival and well-being of the group by connecting with the emotions of the other and generating a behavior capable of promoting the good of others. So simple, but so difficult at times.

As Daniel Goleman points out, no matter how smart you are, without helpful and active empathy, no one will get very far.

Reasons why empathy is needed more than ever

In times of crisis and difficulty, empathy can act as a catalyst. It is a means for the harmony between the groups to flow, the identification of needs and that active collaboration where to be part of the group and not the architect of the conflict.

We want people who add and do not divide, we need hearts and minds oriented to generate solutions and not to remain in a passive position where they limit themselves to seeing what others are doing wrong.

Let’s take a closer look at why empathy is needed more than ever today.

Empathy to understand the needs of those close to us

When we go through difficult times, there will be those who limit themselves exclusively to taking care of themselves and their family, however, we must be able to go further to be able to detect the needs of other people without them expressing it.

We need neighborhood support networks, those that identify, for example, the elderly man in the fifth who lives alone, that older couple in the third who needs someone to do the shopping for them.

Emotional empathy is useful, it allows us to feel the reality of the other, but what we must also work on is cognitive empathy that understands real needs, which goes beyond emotion and takes the step to act, to generate solutions.

Those who care for us also need our empathy

We are clear that our health workers are basically defined by that sense of authentic empathy for their patients. That is undeniable. However, if empathy is more necessary than ever it is because, in difficult times, they too need to be cared for and recognized.

We need leaders skilled in compassionate empathy

Daniel Goleman explained to us in his book Focus that there is a third type of essential empathy in the field of leadership, both business and political, it is compassionate empathy. In this case, an emotional, cognitive and behavioral exercise is mobilized in which a genuine concern for others is shown.

Selfishness, interests and falsehoods fall to activate a compassion that values ​​the human being above anything else. This is translated into actions, into real and effective commitments based on that authentic closeness to people.

A global growth opportunity

Empathy is more necessary than ever in difficult times. Every day we find real opportunities to exercise it, to take into account what multiple studies reveal to us, such as the one carried out at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom by Dr. Karen Tristen.

According to this work, active empathy, that which we provide through social support, creates stronger, happier bonds and reverts to life expectancy.

Few times have we needed so much of this dimension. It is perhaps an ideal time for our children to learn it, for it to germinate in neighboring communities, in small towns, in large cities and of course, internationally.

We need help and compassion both close and remote. That which a friend, a brother, a neighbor and also a stranger can offer us. Let’s reflect on it and seize this opportunity.