Why Cultivating Empathy is Important, Why It Matters More Than You Think

Why is empathy important?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to live an authentic life. What are the things we do, day in and day out, that add up to a meaningful existence? For me, at least, it seems like empathy is key. 

And yet, so many of us seem to struggle with it. We get wrapped up in our own little worlds and forget how to see things from other people’s perspectives.

Why is that? And more importantly, why should we care? In this article, I’ll explain why cultivating empathy is important and offer some tips on how you can start doing it today. Trust me, it’s worth your time.

KEY POINTS

• Why is empathy important now more than ever?
• In today’s world, empathy has become a rare commodity.
• It’s not just the lack of empathy that matters.
• Even more important is what can be done to increase people’s understanding and awareness of others’ feelings and thoughts.

Why Is Empathy Important?

As humans, we feel a wide range of emotions and have a wide range of needs. These emotional needs, which range from the need to feel safe to the need to be heard, understood, and felt, are what distinguish us from other organisms. No matter how introverted or extroverted you are, we all need someone who listens and understands us from time to time. Someone who completely understands what we’re going through. Someone who just gets us.

It is becoming increasingly challenging to connect with people in an age when everyone is distracted by flashing digital screens. Yes, we can hear you. However, listening and hearing are not the same things, even though the two terms are used interchangeably in our everyday lives. Hearing someone is simply the natural phenomenon of your brain decoding sound vibrations. On the other hand, listening to someone necessitates more conscious and cognitive effort.

Although listening is better than just hearing, there is a higher emotional intelligence skill that is equally important in today’s world: empathy.

What Exactly Is Empathy?

Empathy, according to dictionaries, is the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another. 

For example, if an employee requests sick leave, you don’t just say yes; you put yourself in his shoes and offer moral support in addition to the break. Because you care about him. You know what it’s like to be sick. This particular example may appear trivial, but the concept applies to more significant issues in the same way.

Empathy is an emotion as well as a skill. However, it is frequently regarded as a soft skill and an essential component of emotional intelligence in today’s world.

It enables you to become a more positive and selfless person. Researchers believe it plays a significant role in shaping society’s morality.

What Is the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?

Although empathy is frequently confused with sympathy, it is an entirely different emotion. Feeling sympathy is much easier; it entails understanding someone from your own point of view. Many people associate sympathy with feeling sorry for the other person.

On the other hand, empathy is attempting to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and then comprehending how or why they feel the way they do. It is a more intimate way of connecting with someone. It focuses on putting your biases aside and looking at things differently.

Although empathy and sympathy encourage you to help others, empathy is regarded as a far more valuable emotion because it makes others feel heard, understood, and validated. It also enables you to learn more from others and is generally beneficial to your mental health.

Why Is Empathy Important In Relationships?

Empathy contributes to developing intimacy and trust in personal and professional relationships. We all need someone who understands us, who can relate to how we feel, no matter how selfless they are. As a result, empathy is a critical step in developing intimacy, compassion, and trust in your relationships.

Relationships that lack empathy tends to be shallow and fail to provide the desired fulfillment. Being more emphatic has also been shown to increase cooperation, strengthen relationships, and make forgiving others and mending broken relationships much easier.

Whether these are personal or professional relationships, developing and nurturing your emphatic skills only serves to improve the quality of your relationships.

Why Is Empathy Important For Your Mental Health?

And it’s not just important for your relationships; studies have shown that emphatic people are happier and exude positivity. It allows you to see things from a different perspective, which you might have missed if you were always engrossed, our natural reaction to something. Looking at things from a different angle allows you to connect with the other person more, which softens your attitude toward them. It assists you in developing altruistic qualities in yourself, such as compassion, standing up for others, and maintaining your moral compass.

Empathy also aids in the reduction of negative emotions such as anger, aggression, and resentment in relationships, which benefits both your mental and physical health. Overall, it is one of the most important virtues and skills to possess. Everyone can benefit from being more empathetic, whether you are a leader, an employer, a spouse, a sibling, or virtually anyone else.

Why Is Empathy Important For Society As A Whole?

People’s relationships with one another form the foundation of society. When we are more emphatic, it brings us closer together. It helps to restore positivity in our lives and the lives of those around us. According to research, empathetic people perform better in leadership roles as well. So, really, developing and practicing empathy is in everyone’s best interests.

How To Develop Your Empathetic Skills

Now that we’ve established why empathy is important let’s go over how it can be developed and nurtured. It is not a genetic condition. Here are some suggestions for honing your emphatic abilities.

Make listening to others a priority

Making a conscious effort to listen is one of the simplest ways to improve your emphatic skills. For example, if someone is going through a difficult relationship, try to listen more intently. Consider reading between the lines and imagining yourself in a similar situation. It may appear to be a lot of work, but the benefits of being an empathic person are well worth the effort.

Listening to other people can also teach you how to respond more effectively. As a result, you have a much better idea of assisting them. In times of crisis, simply listening to people can feel like a huge help. It makes the other person feel heard, even if you cannot relate to their specific situation.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable

Although being a better listener is an integral part of developing your emphatic skills, this does not mean that you should avoid talking or sharing. In fact, it’s the polar opposite. Ironically, allowing yourself to be vulnerable in front of others helps you become more empathetic.

It is critical to understand that emphatic connections are a two-way street. When you share your feelings and emotions with others, you not only provide opportunities for others to be empathetic. You are also subconsciously developing your own emphatic skills. It assists you in navigating complex feelings and emotions. It gives a better understanding from which you can reflect on other people.

Some people indeed find it difficult to be vulnerable in front of others. However, you will not cultivate your own empathic skills if you do not express yourself and allow yourself to be vulnerable. No matter how hard you try. You will always come across as a closed person, which will make you much less relatable, rendering all of your efforts futile.

Make a concerted effort to put yourself in the shoes of others.

Making a conscious effort to show empathy is one of the most important ways to demonstrate it. Empathy, like anger, is a natural emotion for some people. Others, however, do not find it as easy. As a result, it is critical to make a conscious decision to be emphatic. Try to keep your judgmental thoughts at bay until you’ve heard the other side of the story completely. Then, put yourself in the shoes of others and try to understand them.

It is not difficult, but it does require conscious effort and some time before empathy becomes a natural emotion for you.

Some practical ways to boost your emotional intelligence by displaying more empathy

Recognize that you are biased.

We don’t have to put it out there for everyone to see that we’re all biased. Most of us are predisposed to certain things.

I’m not saying it’s wrong; it’s perfectly fine to have preferences and opinions. However, when you try to impose these on other people, things go wrong. So, the first step toward becoming a more empathetic person is to recognize your biases and refuse to let them overshadow other people’s experiences. Being more open to new experiences, people, and ways of doing things is essential for developing your empathetic skills.

Go beyond small talk and make an effort to connect with others.

Lighthearted chit-chat is fine and all. But the next time you see a colleague or a friend, try to go beyond the usual small talk and genuinely show interest in their daily lives. Inquire about their daily activities and how they feel about various topics. Then, in turn, tell me about your life.

Make an effort to have more diverse connections.

Understanding the different types of support that different people require is one of the most important aspects of becoming more empathetic. Some people simply need a listening ear, while others require more verbal communication, and still, others prefer comfortable silence.

So, make friends with people of different genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It provides a much broader perspective and many different ways to look at things.

Pay attention to what other people are saying

Our lives have been entirely transformed by cell phones and digital gadgets. Yes, they’re useful inventions, but they inevitably consume so much of our time that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a genuine conversation.

People are half-listening and half-typing on their phones, which is one of the worst habits to develop if you want to be more empathetic. Aside from being disrespectful, using your cellphone during a conversation diverts your attention away from nonverbal cues, which is essential in any conversation.

So, the next time someone speaks to you, be courteous and put your phone away. Give them your undivided attention to demonstrate that you value their words.

Make an effort to advocate for others

Altruism is at the heart of empathy. It motivates you to do good and be compassionate to others. Taking a stand for others is one of the best ways to improve your emotional intelligence and become more empathetic. It doesn’t matter if it’s as simple as refusing to engage in gossip. Make a concerted effort to assist others, even if they cannot repay you.

Put It Into Action

Empathy is a valuable virtue as well as a skill. It not only strengthens your relationships but also contributes to societal balance and morality.

Empathy is a word that often gets overused. It can easily start to lose its meaning and significance and people are increasingly dismissive of it.

“Why is empathy important?”

What they fail to realize is that humans require social connections to survive. As it turns out, empathy is the foundation of all relationships, whether personal or professional.

The world needs empathy now more than ever. There is a reason why empathy matters so much right now. It’s one of the most important human traits that make interpersonal relations possible and helps us understand the feelings of others. Still, it also has many benefits for our own well-being. 

In this day and age where we have to deal with more fear, anger, anxiety, stress – being empathetic can help you feel better about what’s going on in your life too. So while some people may think empathy is a weakness or something to be avoided at all costs-it really comes down to how you want yourself and those around you to live their lives.

If everyone practiced more empathy each day instead of making themselves seem strong by dehumanizing other people, things would be different. We would see less violence on the news, more understanding in personal relationships, and a more peaceful world. So the next time you are asked, ” why empathy is important?” remember that it is one of the most valuable skills a person can have and should be cultivated every day.

“Good questions outrank easy answers.” – Paul A. Samuelson (American economist)

• Do you believe that empathy is natural?
• What advice would you give to other men that want to be better at communicating their feelings with others around them?
• There are very few dangers to showing empathy, but what are the risks of not being empathetic?
• What are some things that people have done to cultivate empathy in their own lives?

Want more? Get the free guide “Quiet Confidence: A Men’s Guide to Living a Free, Authentic, Joyful, Centered, & Purposeful Life“

This workbook will introduce mindfulness as a foundation for living a more deliberate, authentic, purposeful life of peace, freedom, health, and fulfillment.