Cultivating empathy

The sobering news is that changes underway in higher education are moving us away from the goal of creating a culture that nurtures empathy.

For example, if the culture surrounding us truly shapes our capacity for empathy, then colleges and universities need to be providing our students with as many opportunities as possible for cultivating empathy. While the research is still in its infancy, it seems plausible to theorize that the classroom—where students learn with other students and a teacher and engage in conversation—is a setting that can foster empathy.

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The development of empathy relies on
reading others’ body language, hearing
their voices, seeing their eyes
and facial expressions,

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The development of empathy relies on reading others’ body language, hearing their voices, seeing their eyes and facial expressions, and perhaps even our unconscious awareness of their odor or smell.