Empathy as a Skill We Can Cultivate

Empathy is a psychological superglue that connects people and can be cultivated as a skill. It has three core components: emotional empathy, cognitive empathy, and empathic concern or compassion. Emotional empathy involves feeling what others feel, while cognitive empathy focuses on understanding others' perspectives. Empathic concern is the motivation to improve someone else's well-being. These components of empathy are moderately correlated and can vary among individuals. However, empathy is not fixed and can be developed through intentional effort and mindset shifts.