Benefits of being empathetic

Fact Checked

Under review

Empathy is a capacity that allows us to connect with people and understand them from within… We bring you 9 of its benefits!

Do you consider yourself an empathetic person? Have you ever wondered what the benefits of being empathetic are? In this article, we list up to 9 benefits according to some experts, although there are a few more. Do you think we are empathetic to feel better or to make others feel better? The debate is served…

The benefits we will list They have to do with the quality of interpersonal relationships, one’s own self-esteem and the ability to help and understand others.. Surely reading some of them encourages you to practice and improve your empathy… Who knows!

“The great ability of the human being is that he has the power of empathy.”

-Mery Streep, actress-

What is empathy?

The word empathy comes from Greek empathy, which means ‘passion’. This word was taken from the Greeks at the beginning of the 20th century. XX for psychology. As a result, its meaning was expanded. Today, we know that Empathy is one of the most important skills that make up emotional intelligence.

It is about the ability to understand the emotional life of another person; That includes your thoughts, emotions, feelings… As has always been said, empathy involves the ability to put yourself in the other’s shoes. That is, thanks to it we can understand a person in their depth, feeling the same emotions as them.

9 benefits of being empathetic

Empathy is also related to active listening, emotional support and understanding. In psychology it is considered one of the basic competencies of the psychologist, necessary to understand and help alleviate human suffering. But what other benefits do we find of being empathetic?

Read Also: Untouchable, dedramatizing limitations

It allows us to work on acceptance

Fernando Catalán, psychologist and president of the Deontological Commission of the Official College of Psychology of the Valencian Community (COPCV), affirms that The first benefit of being empathetic is that it allows us to work on acceptance. That is, it helps us understand and accept people better, which facilitates the emergence of a cordial social relationship.

“If I am not empathetic, I will rub against everyone.”

-Fernando Catalán-

Helps us persuade

Although this would be a perhaps more “selfish” benefit, Catalán also considers it another of the benefits of being empathetic. According to the psychologist, “If you understand the other person, you can convince them or try to convince them of something“. As suggested, although convincing is the most interested part of empathy, it is still essential.

Strengthens empathy

The psychologist Mª Carmen Soliveres considers that Being empathetic also allows us to strengthen our self-esteem. Soliveres explains it like this: “Those people who demonstrate empathy are oriented toward collaboration and enjoy greater success in their reference groups, which increases self-esteem.”

Facilitates relationships with people

The psychologist and psychotherapist Laura Cano considers this one of the benefits of being empathetic. This happens because when people feel understood with us, it is easier for us to establish relationships of trust with them.

We all return to the places where they make us feel good.

Allows us to help others

Through empathy, along with other tools or skills of emotional intelligence, we can help people with their problems or suffering. By empathizing, we start active listening and connect with themwhich can make it easier for them to feel less alone (and better).

“Try to understand before being understood.”

-Stephen Covey-

We establish warmer relationships

By putting ourselves in someone’s shoes, we connect better with that person, and that favors the creation of warmer and closer relationships. That is to say, We do not limit ourselves to being with that person, but to try to understand them in a deep wayand that encourages this type of relationships, far from superficial relationships.

“Most people prefer to give than receive affection.”

-Aristotle-

Helps communicate bad news

Giving bad news is not a dish of good taste for anyone. In fact, this action has been related to a phenomenon called the MUM effect. The MUM effect occurs when we must communicate bad news; Thus, it gives a name to that tendency to resist itor to distort the bad news, for fear that they will unconsciously associate us with it and, by extension, consider us less “good” or less attractive.

Allows you to develop more empathy

Another benefit of being empathetic is that when we are, we are training to be even more (or better) empathetic. That is, empathy, although it is a very intrinsic value in each of us, can also be learned and improved. Thus, by being empathetic, we are further developing this same skill.

Helps you get to know people better

As we have seen, empathy helps us connect with others. That, in turn, allows us to get to know people better, because they open up to us and show their inner world more easily.

Knowing people and connecting with them enriches us as people.

Neuroscience and empathy

Does the concept of mirror neurons sound familiar to you? Well, they are the neurons that precisely promote the capacity for empathy. They were discovered in 1996 by Giacomo Rizzaloti, an Italian neurobiologist, in macaque monkeys.

Rizzaloti observed how these neurons were activated when the monkeys saw certain movements and expressed emotions in other monkeys. Some time later, these neurons were also located in humans, in a specific area of the brain: the inferior frontal cortex (that is, the language center).