Empathy can be helped, or hindered. Authors call for an “empathy epidemic” to address violence, bullying, child abuse, racism and other inequities.
Part of emotional development is the development of empathy, which is defined as the ability to sense and recognize others’ feelings and emotions – and to care about making it better if it hurts.
Many parents, educators and scholars agree that the development of social and emotional skills is critically important for children, youth and adults.
============================
authors Maia Szalavitz and Bruce Perry, M.D.,
stress that not only is the development
of empathy important for individual
health and wellbeing, but that it also
“underlies virtually everything that
makes society work — like trust,
altruism, collaboration, love, charity.”
================
