Apathy blocks an individual’s ability to help another person or empathise with them
Empathy is vital for cooperation and friendship. Without empathy there would be no humanity, just a world of disparate individuals without the social glue to hold them together. Empathy is the experience of understanding another person’s perspective – you place yourself in their shoes and feel what they are feeling.
When we empathise we not only mirror the distress of the other person, but are moved to respond in helping ways. In other words, empathy helps us take care of one another.
by Jane McGregor
