Dare to Lead with Brené Brown Brené and Adam Grant on Empathy vs. Enmeshment
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Oct 8, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and bestselling author, joins Brené Brown to tackle the complexities of empathy. They explore why empathy is under attack and differentiate between cognitive and affective empathy. Brené shares a personal story highlighting the dangers of enmeshment—where one loses personal boundaries. They also examine how media influences our empathy responses, urging listeners to maintain compassion without overwhelming identification with others' pain.
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Empathy Critiques Need More Nuance
- Public attacks on empathy often conflate different kinds of empathy and miss nuance.
- Distinguishing types of empathy makes the debate more productive.
Feeling Others' Pain Can Backfire
- Affective (feeling) empathy can be biased and lead to overload or withdrawal.
- Cognitive empathy and compassionate action are more sustainable routes to helping others.
Believe Before You Act
- Cognitive empathy is the capacity to listen, understand, and believe someone's experience.
- Brené argues cognitive empathy plus compassion is essential for moral, effective care.
