The Golden Rule.
The Golden Rule.
An old adage to treat others the way you would like to be treated. In the words of Confucius, “Do not onto others what you do not want done to yourself “. Many of us are taught this rule from childhood. By keeping this rule in mind over the course of our lives, it is woven into our fabric.
By living by this rule, we not only respect ourselves, we respect the world around us. The idea of acting to the detriment of another becomes unnatural. The Golden Rule incites us to behave kindly and generously to others. Furthermore, ensuring that we avoid harming those around us. The lesson is a simple one: kindness begets kindness; generosity begets generosity; loyalty begets loyalty. By imbibing such lessons we deepen our empathetic abilities, thus living both honestly and generously.
Empathy.
An invaluable trait. Empathy reflects the capacity to experience the emotions of another, and to view the world from another’s perspective. Thus, empathy includes both emotional and cognitive components (Brown & Benchmark, 1994).
Empathy is linked to mental health outcomes. Lack of empathy is highly associated with narcissism and narcissistic traits (Brown, et al., 2010). Lack of empathy is also associated with aggression, and antisocial behavior (Ellis, 1982).
Ego.
The opposite of empathy is essentially the ego. The ego presents itself in selfishness, and an obsession with being “right”. Such a perspective is primarily about the self, rather than viewing the world from the perspective of others (Freud, 1923).
Just as the ego reflects a focus on the self, empathy reflects a focus on others. In our relationships, empathy facilitates movement from fear to understanding. When research participants viewed their social partners in pain, those scoring higher in empathy experienced more warmth towards those partners (as opposed to fear or no emotion); fear and a lack of emotion were more common in those scoring lower in empathy (McCall & Singer, 2012).
The good news is that empathy is plastic, changing with our life experiences, motivations, and values. Many researchers purport that empathy is a skill, rather than a trait (Klein & Hodges, 2001). Thus, it can be learned (or unlearned). The latter is possible during times of crisis. The current pandemic is a potential example of such. Political strife and warfare are primary examples (Rifkin, 2009).
Community Benefits.
Collective empathy serves as an environmental resource. Empowering communities to help one another (rather than to compete), promotes community-level resilience (Aiyer, et al., 2014). Thus, the role of empathy has broader societal consequences.
Conclusion.
Empathy benefits individuals, communities, and society overall. And this much I promise you: you will rarely regret being empathetic. Empathy is a praiseworthy skill. Although, you must remember, that not everyone is capable of the same.
Authorship: Sophie Aiyer
