Empathy is feeling with people

Last updated on 8 November 2021

“Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection.”

Dr. Brené Brown
Empathy animated

In this animated RSA short video, Dr. Brené Brown explains empathy and how it is most definitely not the same thing as sympathy. Besides contrasting the two phenomena, Dr. Brown delves briefly into Theresa Wiseman‘s four qualities of empathy:

  1. Taking someone else’s perspective as that person’s truth
  2. Listening without judgement
  3. Recognizing emotion in other people
  4. Communicating that recognition

Here is Dr. Brown’s entire talk, The Power of Vulnerability. What would the world be like, if we would each simply embrace our own vulnerability and honestly connect with others?