Empathy — the ability to understand how someone else feels — can be taught, and in Compassionate Communication we learn to empathize by listening for feelings and needs. Programs and initiatives across the US are teaching young people how to listen empathically to truly embrace diversity, end violence, and generate compassionate actions.
Can empathy be taught? While some people are naturally more empathic than others, “empathy requires something called Theory of Mind,” Dr. Laura Mattox says, which “is a concept that develops in children ages 3 to 5 and entails being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
http://collaborative-communication.org/blog
