“Empathy is finding the echo of another person within oneself.
Nelson Mandela”
“Empathy signifies the process of directly experiencing the emotional state, opinions, and behavior of another person. The word empathy comes from the ancient Greek word πάθος, which translates to feeling and experiencing.”
“This is a complex phenomenon that can be studied from various perspectives. In this article, we will examine empathy from the standpoint of philosophy, psychology, and religion, and explore how empathy can influence the quality of an individual’s life and the broader community.”
“From a philosophical standpoint, empathy is closely connected to the concept of intersubjectivity. This concept refers to the idea that our understanding of the world and other people is shaped by our interactions with them. The lack of empathy, or the inability to empathize with the phenomena and people around us, hinders deeper connections and understanding of others and ourselves.”
“Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have already recognized the importance of ‘compassion’ as the binding force of society and have debated the concept…” sympathy (which is similar to empathy but with less focus on emotions and more on the feeling of shared experience) as crucial for the harmonious functioning of every community.
Philosopher Martin Buber considered empathy as the foundation of all human relationships. He believed that empathy enables individuals to connect with others on a deep, personal level and that this connection is ultimately what gives meaning to our lives.
On the other hand, Kant believed that empathy can be a useful tool for understanding others’ perspectives, but it should be balanced with dedication, rational thinking, and moral principles. He believed that we should use reason to determine which actions are ethical, and then use empathy to understand how our actions can impact others, as empathy is limited to our subjective experiences and can sometimes lead us to irrational or immoral choices.
Today, psychologists distinguish between two levels of empathy: cognitive e Empathy (the ability to understand another person’s perspective) and emotional empathy (the ability to feel another person’s emotions).
Cognitive empathy or “shallow empathy” is the most common definition of empathy, which is the ability to “put ourselves in someone else’s shoes,” to see the world through “someone else’s eyes,” and to “read” other people’s emotions. Defined in this way, empathy is nothing more than a mental ability, similar to when we imagine future scenarios or solve problems based on past experiences.
Emotional empathy or “deep empathy” goes beyond just the mental ability to imagine what other people are feeling – it is the ability to truly feel what other people are experiencing.
It is important to note that the terms “shallow” and “deep” empathy should be taken with a grain of salt. Sociopaths and psychopaths can perfectly understand how others feel, but they don’t care. Likewise, emotional empathy can be shallow, short-lived, useless, and even burdensome for others. Therefore, one is not better than the other, but they need to complement each other in order to develop true empathy. Empathy is a skill that can be learned and developed through the process of self-awareness. In order to understand other people’s feelings – why someone is the way they are, why they react that way, etc., we need to strive to better understand ourselves. This does not mean selfishly focusing on ourselves, but rather being able to recognize in others what exists in ourselves. Studies have shown that individuals with a high level of empathy are more capable of creating and maintaining healthy relationships, and are less likely to experience negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Underdeveloped empathy can lead to a range of problems, as individuals who are unable to understand or share the feelings of others can be quite limited in establishing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. Therefore, such individuals may be more prone to self-destructive, aggressive, and deviant behavior. Because of the lack of empathy, other human beings become objects and means to satisfy one’s own desires and needs.
That is why many religious traditions emphasize compassion, understanding, and treating others with kindness as a path to moral and spiritual growth. The Golden Rule, present in many religious teachings, encourages people to “treat others as they would like to be treated.”
In Buddhism, compassion in suffering, as well as in joy, is considered one of the four “immeasurables” or “divine abodes” (brahmavihara) that are seen as crucial for attaining enlightenment. In Hinduism, there is the concept of daya, which suggests that we should try to alleviate the suffering of all human beings, including that of strangers and enemies, as they are all part of our existence.
Similarly, in Christianity, empathy is associated with the virtue of mercy and the commandment of “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In all these religions and philosophies, empathy and compassion are seen as essential qualities for fostering harmonious relationships and personal growth. In everyday life, empathy is a crucial component of quality relationships and interactions. Empathetic individuals are more willing to help, share, collaborate, and are also more adaptable to new life circumstances. Because of this, they are often happier in their personal and professional lives.
In order for empathy to be useful – for us and others – it needs to be effective. The purpose of empathy is not just to “understand and feel others”, but it should serve as a compass in our actions and help us determine what we can do for others in a given moment. The meaning is to take action, to do something, rather than just feel. Depending on the situation and the person, this can be something as simple as actively listening to another person, hugging, encouraging, celebrating their success, and so on. Empathy should drive us to take action, as this channels someone else’s happiness or sorrow into mutual connection and the building of deep and meaningful relationships. That is why Robert Ebert says, “I believe that empathy is an essential quality of civilization.” say