Contents
Signs that indicate that a person does not have a drop of empathy
Emotions
Although human beings are empathic by nature, there are people who have this capacity more developed
Although the more classic definition of ‘empathy‘says it is the’ feeling of identification with someone or something ‘, it is also something else. It is not just about identifying with someone: understanding and respecting the other is also the basis of this emotion. Meritxell Garcia Roig, author of “The Art of Empathy”, describes it in a more dreamlike way. He says it is “the invisible thread that connects us as people.” He argues that, thanks to empathy, we are able to connect with other people by imagining their situation, feeling their emotion and seeing the world through their eyes.
“Humans by nature are empathetic,” says Meritxell Garcia Roig. Explain that it is given thanks to the so-called neurons
mirror, which capture the emotions and body language of other people, so that in this way, “we can mirror what we perceive.” Thus, the author explains that if a person has developed empathy, we will observe how they want actively understand and listen and how you are genuinely curious to know about the person in front of you, something materializes by asking questions. “The intention is to understand how the other person sees the world regardless of our opinions or choices; what prevails is the intention of wanting to listen and see beyond the surface ”, he summarizes.
How to recognize someone without empathy
On the contrary, it can be more difficult to identify when we are faced with a person who lacks empathy. Garcia Roig explains that more than one person without empathy, almost everyone, in a specific situation, “acts from a space in which empathy is conspicuous by its absence.” These situations of which the expert speaks are characterized by being moments in which the person is stopped listening, and we are “more concerned with what we are going to say than with understanding what we are hearing.” “If we are concerned about making the other person change their minds instead of focusing on understanding and reaching a consensus, we may not be using empathy at the moment,” he says.
Then, Can empathy be trained? Meritxell Garcia Roig assures that, “in the same way that we would go to the gym to train our legs, we must practice empathy on a day-to-day basis.” To carry out this ‘training’, the expert recommends practicing active listening, as well as making an effort to ask from curiosity and having the ability to set personal limits. “Training empathy and self-empathy is key to a healthy mental, physical and emotional state that allows us to connect with other people from our authenticity,” he says.
Regain lost empathy
Just like when you stop going to the gym you lose strength, the author comments that empathy cannot be lost, but it can decline due to lack of use. “The empathic muscle memory is there and you just need to pick up the weights again for the muscle to remember the movement. To regain the toning of the empathy muscle you have to practice, “he says.
The community can also be a vehicle driver of empathy. Therefore, the pandemic situation caused by Covid-19 has brought people together in an unprecedented way. “Inevitably seeing ourselves reflected with the same concerns, movement limitations and frustrations have caused human contact and the genuine interest to share to spread through the Internet in the absence of face-to-face life,” says Meritxell Garcia Roig.
On the other hand, he comments that we are facing difficult times for empathy “with smiles covered, without being able to see our faces; without being able to connect with another person through touch ». He says that in the face of challenges, they always come innovative and creative ways, and in this case it is the same. “Humans are destined for the connection between people and we will always find ways to stick together. Empathy unites us, makes us equal ”, he concludes.