Photo by SHVETS production.

Although the word “empathy” has roots going all the way back to ancient Greek, it was not until the early 20th century that it made its way into English via the German “Einfuhlung”. In all three languages, the word is the joining of the words “in” and “feeling” and suggests that there is a capacity not just to recognize the feelings of other beings, as in the case of the word “sympathy,” but to truly share in those feelings. To empathize is to take on the feelings of another as if they were one’s own, creating a supportive sense of connection and harmony.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “empathy” in English was rarely used until about the middle of the 20th century, but has been steadily rising in its usage since then. Alongside this increased usage is a growing collection of studies pointing to empathy’s role in both physical and mental health, how our ability to empathize can erode, and how to recover empathy in a healthy way.

Erosion of empathy

Humans in affluent societies find themselves increasingly isolated, causing depression and loneliness.

During a time when humans in affluent societies find themselves increasingly isolated, causing an unprecedented rise in depression and loneliness, BYU professor of neuroscience and psychology Julianne Holt-Lunstad ascribes to social isolation the health risks we normally associate with obesity, smoking, and alcohol dependency.

Further speculation on the erosion of empathy in our culture points to the substitution of digital interactions for live human-to-human interaction. This was of course exacerbated by the isolation enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Political polarization and intolerance is an outgrowth of this isolation, and is supported by the confirmation bias (you generally see only what you agree with online) that social media platforms are based on. The step of removal from face-to-face interplay unleashes some of our most disagreeable and destructive thoughts into typed statements so sadly abundant in comment sections.

A healthy ability to empathize improves our sense of connectedness to our fellow humans, increasing tolerance and trust. A 2021 study published by the National Library of Medicine looked at empathy through the lens of volunteerism, which, coincidentally, has been decreasing steadily over the past few decades as we have become more isolated. The study concluded that volunteerism increases one’s sense of empathy and, in turn, one’s general mental health.

Strands of empathy

The field of neuroscience has identified an area of the brain that lights up when a person feels empathy, and has further teased out three strands of empathy that differ somewhat in their definition.

Cognitive empathy is when one can recognize the emotions of others without actually experiencing them oneself.

Emotional empathy is when one actually shares in another’s feelings and involves mirror neurons and the limbic system of the brain. Mirror neurons are responsible for our ability to imitate what we see someone else doing. The limbic system, among other things, regulates emotions in the brain and is partly responsible for creating compassion.

Compassionate empathy pairs emotional with cognitive empathy and creates the stimulus to act on behalf of another person, or the urge to help.

Degrees of empathy

The amount of empathy an individual has may vary depending on multiple factors.

Neuroscience has also been advancing the idea that empathy is an evolutionary development of significant benefit to our intensely social species. “Pro-social” behavior makes the health and stability of the group, or tribe, a priority. Anti-social behavior erodes the health of the whole while also delivering negative consequences to the individual. 

The amount of empathy an individual has may vary depending on childhood experiences, societal discrimination, low emotional intelligence (the ability to understand and identify one’s emotions and act accordingly), and high levels of stress. Low levels of empathy are not considered a mental illness on their own, but can be a symptom of various disorders, from autism and Asperger’s to narcissistic personality disorder. 

Outside of these and other disorders with diagnoses and treatment arcs of their own, an increasing decline in empathy among otherwise mentally healthy humans shows a correlation with isolation. Excessive time spent alone, both as children and adults, decreases our empathic abilities and can lead to anti-social behaviors such as an inability to relate to others’ experiences, being overly critical or intolerant of others, emotional dysregulation, inability to forgive, impatience, poor listening skills, and self-centeredness.

For those lacking in empathy, whatever the origin of the deficit, if not an aspect of a more serious personality disorder, a person can improve their ability to experience empathy.

Building empathy

A person can improve their ability to experience empathy.

To build cognitive empathy, practice observing the body language and speech habits of others, and when appropriate, ask them what they’re feeling. To help someone else do so, identify your feelings clearly to increase shared understanding.

To increase emotional empathy, work on identifying your own emotions, which as you build this skill, will lend itself to better understanding of another’s feelings. If you are helping another find more emotional intelligence, model it by being open about your feelings and communicating them clearly.

As the skills of empathy improve, a natural outcome will be compassionate empathy, and the desire to help will arise.

There are therapists who specialize in rekindling the ability to feel empathy, and you might start with your general healthcare provider to be pointed in the right direction.

As social beings, empathy has evolved to enhance our chances of survival. Trust, cooperation, shared responsibilities, caring for the ill or vulnerable, all strengthen the group, which in turn strengthens the individual. Ultimately, we are all in this together; nature has designed us this way. Modern life, especially via social media networks that encourage division not just through characterizing other viewpoints as wrong, but also by padding the worth of our own opinions via the all-powerful algorithm, has led to greater levels of isolation than humankind has ever known.

If you or someone you love has difficulty experiencing empathy, have a kind and compassionate conversation with that person. By reaching out and modeling this natural behavior that proves and celebrates human interdependence, you might light a spark of awareness and understanding that will have both mental and physical health benefits.

Ann Constantino, submitted on behalf of the SoHum Health’s Outreach department.