Name: Empathy
ISBN: 9780399171390

Roman Krznaric

Looks at the emotion of empathy, arguing that people are wired for social connection and that they can create a more equal, happy society by becoming more empathic.

Why it Matters, and how to Get it

Empathy

Lance Willett

This book is approachable yet thorough on the topic of empathy. The focus is on how to switch on your brain for empathy with activities like making the imaginative leap, seeking experiential journeys, and practicing the craft of conversation.

Breaking things down into two kinds of empathy: 1) affective, where you feel the same emotions as others and 2) cognitive, where you're able to put yourself in their shoes.

Platinum rule: "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them." Don't assume that what you wish for is what others also want. Expanding on "Know thyself" from Socrates, this book adds an empathic component to it, "Seek to understand who you are not by looking inside but by looking at the world" (quoting Goethe here).

Why do we need empathy? Because you can't "do unto them" without knowing about other people through active listening, caring about them, and respect.

Most people are able to expand their capacity for empathy by practicing mindful meditation toward other people's feelings and experiences. This is the most important part of the book's message, to me. Understanding that it's not a fixed personality trait; empathy can rise and fall depending on the situation, and we can train ourselves to get better at it.

Empathy Why it Matters, and how to Get it