Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and understand how they feel- to be them, even for a second.
It’s the link between self and others, how we connect, heal, and relate.
Considering its importance in every aspect of our lives, we should probably take a deeper look at the neuroscience behind it all.
Is empathy something we are born with, or is it a skill that we can practice and improve throughout our lives? The most recent research suggests that, actually, it’s both. While empathy skills can be learned with coaching and practice, recent neuroscience research has found that humans are, quite literally, wired to connect.
Marco Iacoboni
Neuroscientist, UCLA Brain Mapping Center
