9 Reasons To Empathize

Empathy is an ability that allows us to relate to people and understand them from the inside out. Here we go over nine great reasons to empathize!

Do you see yourself as an empathetic person? Have you ever wondered what are the benefits of empathy? In this article, we are going to list 9 of these benefits. While there are others, these are the most commonly cited by experts.

Do you think we empathize to make ourselves feel better or to make others feel better ? The debate is open…

First of all, the benefits we’ll discuss relate to interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, and the ability to help and understand others. Reading some of these reasons will definitely encourage you to practice and improve your empathy… Who knows!

What is empathy?

First of all, the word empathy comes from the Greek word empatheia which means “passion”. This word entered our dictionary at the beginning of the 20th century through psychology. As a result, its meaning has broadened. Today, we know that empathy is one of the most important qualities of emotional intelligence.

It is the ability to understand the emotional life of another person. This includes his thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Empathy is a person’s ability to put themselves in another’s shoes. Showing empathy therefore allows us to understand a person in depth. And this, while feeling the same emotions as her.

9 reasons to empathize

Empathy is related to active listening, emotional support, and understanding. In psychology, it is also considered one of the basic skills of the psychologist. It is necessary to understand and help alleviate human suffering. But what are the other benefits of empathy?

It allows us to work on acceptance

Fernando Catalán, psychologist and president of the Ethics Commission of the Official College of Psychology of the Valencian Community in Spain (COPCV), says that being empathetic allows us to work on acceptance. It helps us to understand people better. Empathy thus facilitates the development of a cordial social relationship.

Showing empathy helps us persuade others

Although it may sound a bit “selfish”, Fernando Catalán also sees another advantage in it. According to the psychologist, “ if you understand the other person, you can try to convince them of something more easily and maybe even get there”.

As he admits, while this aspect is obviously the most interesting part of empathy, it is nonetheless essential. Please note!

Empathy strengthens empathy

Psychologist Carmen Soliveres believes that empathy helps us strengthen our self-esteem. Soliveres explains it this way: “People who show empathy are engaged in collaboration and they are more successful with their circle of friends. So it increases self-esteem. ”

Empathy facilitates relationships with people

Psychologist and psychotherapist Laura Cano considers empathy to be one of the main assets. Indeed, when people feel understood by us, it is then easier to establish relationships of trust with them. We all go back to where we feel good.

Showing empathy allows us to help others

Through empathy, along with other emotional intelligence tools or skills, we can help others with their problems or suffering. By showing empathy, we trigger active listening and connect with others, making them feel less alone and better.

Better quality relationships

When we put ourselves in someone’s shoes, of course, we create better relationships with that person. Empathy promotes the creation of warmer and closer relationships.

In other words, we don’t just content ourselves with being with that person, but we try to understand them in depth. It promotes non-superficial relationships.

Empathy makes it easier to spread bad news

Breaking bad news is not to everyone’s taste. It is even a phenomenon known as the MUM effect. The MUM effect occurs when we have to announce bad news but we try to resist it to the point of distorting the news, for example.

And this, for fear of being unconsciously associated with it and, therefore, of being considered as “the one who brings bad news”. However, being empathetic also helps you learn to convey bad news more tactfully.

Empathy allows us to have more empathy

This is another benefit of empathy. When we show empathy, we are more and more empathetic each time. In other words, while this is an intrinsic quality of all of us, empathy can also develop. Thus, an empathetic person continually develops this same skill.

Showing empathy helps you get to know others better

As we’ve seen, empathy helps us connect with people. This allows us to get to know others better, because they open up more to us and they allow us to glimpse their inner world more easily. Getting to know people and connecting with them enriches us as people.

What does the neuroscience say about empathy?

Have you ever heard of the concept of mirror neurons? Well, these are precisely the neurons that promote the capacity for empathy. They were discovered in 1996 in macaque monkeys by Giacomo Rizzaloti, an Italian neurobiologist.

Rizzaloti observed how these neurons were activated when monkeys saw certain gestures in their fellow humans and when they expressed their emotions. Shortly after, these same neurons were also identified in humans, in a specific area of the brain: the inferior frontal cerebral cortex, the area responsible for language.