Empathy Archives | Cognition Today

How Empathy Fails Us: In-group/Out-group Negativity & Emotional Burn-Out

November 30, 2019November 30, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

The Negative effect of Empathy: Impaired decision making, emotional burn-out, and us vs. them

Empathy is generally regarded as a valuable skill in managing and nurturing social and professional relationships. It’s central to helping others and improving social dynamics. However, there is a point where empathy has negative effects. Too much empathy can be harmful, even bad. It might encourage fixating on other people’s problems, it can prime your …

16 Ways To Train & Increase Your Empathy

October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

16 ways to increase empathy - cover photo

Empathy is a desirable human trait and it is central to relationships, community well-being, and professional growth. In what people call emotional intelligence – the sensitivity & the skill to regulate, understand, and use emotions – empathy is a necessary force. On some level, empathy is natural. Most people are aware that others have unique …

The Effect of Reading Fiction on The Brain: Do Books Increase Empathy?

November 12, 2019August 8, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

The effect of reading on the brain: Can books increase empathy?

There is some debate on whether reading literary fiction has any effect on the brain. Can reading improve empathy, mentalizing (being aware of one’s and other’s thoughts), and desirable attitudes? Research in this area looks at the theory of mind and social cognition. Let us first understand these terms. Theory of Mind – This framework …

Friend’s sight – a mental tool for decision making using empathy

July 25, 2019December 5, 2017 by Aditya Shukla

Understanding someone else point of view

There is a handy mental tool I use when evaluating my work or making decisions. It is a simple question I ask myself. In this very short post, I’ll show you how you can use it meaningfully! This article will also show you how to be empathetic. Sometimes, it is very hard to evaluate your …