Empathy experts share cognitive strategies for how to become more empathetic and deepen your connections along the way.
Thats all to say empathy doesnt have to look like heartfelt conversations and handholding and gazing into someones eyes.
Despite popular belief, empathy can be very emotionally subdued, says Dr. Halpern.
And being aware of that reality can make empathy feel easier to practice from the outset.
Why are some people less empathetic than others?
You just want them to see things your way.
professor of bioethics at the University of California Berkeley
But even in the midst of an argument, all hope for empathy still isnt lost.
How to become more empathetic in your relationships and everyday interactions
1.
Theyre scared that, in being empathetic, theyll feel overly burdened or burned out, she says.
Ask more open-ended questions
At the root of empathy is being able to reallyseethe person with whom youre engaging.
And without mind-reading powers, the only way to do that is to ask them open-ended questions.
This wasnt connected to what we were meeting about in any way.
After all, why would you empathize with an action that hurts you or goes against your values?
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professor of bioethics at the University of California Berkeley
