Is Empathy a Basic Human Trait?

Designers talk a lot about needing to have very highly refined modes of empathy in their practices. Do you think that's something that's learned? Or is it ingrained in us? Wy: There's a strong narrative that sympathy is hard wired in away, because it allows us to relate to one another. The survival of the species has to do as much with co operation among each other as well as competition over resources. But i also believe that competition is kind of to what extent are we living those values?