All articles tagged with #empathy
A 2011 Science study found a free rat learned to open a tube to release a trapped cagemate, and when chocolate was added as a competing reward the latencies were similar and the free rat ate fewer chocolate chips, suggesting prosocial behavior but not definitive empathy. Subsequent work questions whether the behavior reflects true concern for others or social/interest factors, and the debate about rat empathy continues.
Writer-director Josh Soskin recalls Shia LaBeouf’s explosive, deeply painful on-set performance for The Rooster Prince, a film inspired by his brother’s bipolar disorder; a self-tape moment—“maximum empathy”—helps Soskin rally the crew and frame the production as a raw exploration of mental illness in art, even as LaBeouf later faces legal troubles.
Casual texts are often answered quickly because they’re habitual, low-stakes messages that don’t require reading the other person’s inner state. Emotional messages, by contrast, demand empathy, context, and careful wording—and carry relational risk—so people may delay to craft a response that’s kind and accurate. Research cited shows that fast replies aren’t always neglectful and slow replies aren’t always neglectful; the key is whether the response acknowledges feelings and supports the relationship, not how quickly it arrives.
A latent profile analysis of 991 adults identified four personality groups: Typicals, Empaths, Dark Triad, and Dark Empaths—the latter about 19% of the sample. Dark Empaths score high on empathy yet also high on narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, using empathic insight for both help and manipulation (indirect aggression). This challenges the view that empathy is unambiguously prosocial, supporting a distinction between empathy and compassion, and highlighting that empathy can be selective and exhausting. While findings have been replicated across some populations, researchers caution that Dark Empath is a statistical pattern rather than a fixed category and call for broader cross-cultural validation.
The article argues that empathy tends to rise after age 40 not from a softening of character but from a lifetime of observing that initial judgments of others’ behavior are often miscalibrated. Through repeated experiences of discovering private suffering behind visible actions, older people develop a cautious interpretive habit that asks, “what would this look like if the person were suffering?” This accumulated evidence base makes late-life compassion real but not a spiritual achievement, and it suggests that the same recalibration can be cultivated earlier by deliberately pausing before judging so as to consider hidden contexts.
A study of 804 incarcerated men finds that higher psychopathy scores are linked to an expanded cortical surface area and a compressed cortical gradient, with distinct relations between empathy types and psychopathic traits and region-specific changes in social-emotional brain regions; the authors note limitations from self-report empathy measures and the male-inmate sample, recommending broader replication and exploration of underlying cellular mechanisms.
A Nature Reviews Psychology review explains that physiological signals such as heart rate, heart-rate variability, and electrodermal activity synchronize between individuals during social interaction in a context-dependent, dynamic way, potentially underpinning empathy and cooperation, and it calls for multimodal, group-scale studies to map when and why this biological attunement arises.
A psychologist outlines five actionable strategies for stressed parents: pause for a moment of mindfulness with five deep breaths, replace self-criticism with self-compassion, ask for help to support both parents and kids, respond to children with empathy, and savor positive moments to boost family well-being and resilience.
Scientific research is challenging the idea that women are naturally more empathetic than men. While women often score slightly higher on empathy tests, the gap is small with substantial overlap, and both biology (like prenatal testosterone exposure) and social factors influence empathy. Some researchers question the hormonal explanation, and genetic studies show only a small genetic contribution with environment playing a large role. Brain responses to empathic cues are largely similar across genders when not biased by context, and empathy can be learned. Societal expectations and power dynamics shape how empathy is expressed, and there’s a broader shift toward more empathetic masculinity as caregiving becomes more common among men.
John Lithgow criticized J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans stance as ironic and inexplicable during a Rotterdam IFFR discussion, tying it to a broader 'war on empathy.' He also called his eight-year contract to play Albus Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter TV series 'insane' at 80, but praised the production team and stressed that the canon celebrates kindness and acceptance, signaling his commitment despite controversy.
In a thoughtful review, Pico Iyer praises George Saunders’s Vigil for its humane, unsparing inquiry into reality, suffering, and death, using supernatural figures to blow up political binaries and echo Saunders’s border reporting and Buddhist practice; the piece situates Vigil with Lincoln in the Bardo as part of Saunders’s ongoing project of empathy across divides.
A man in Harnett County, Collin Peregoy, became a local hero by delivering over a dozen packages, including critical medications, that fell off a FedEx truck on Christmas Eve, after the delivery was delayed. He took action by contacting the recipients directly, ensuring they received their essential items, exemplifying community kindness and empathy during the holiday season.
Pope Leo XIV's Christmas message called for empathy and solidarity with those suffering worldwide, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and humility to achieve peace amidst ongoing conflicts and crises.
Chelsea Hirschhorn, CEO of Frida, advocates for a measured, thoughtful approach to business, bucking traditional startup trends of rapid growth and risk-taking. Her leadership style has evolved to emphasize empathy and understanding, influenced by her experiences as a working mother, and she prioritizes well-being and practical growth over venture capital funding.
The article explores the psychology behind heroism, highlighting how some bystanders at Bondi Beach risked their lives during a shooting, and discusses traits like empathy and circumstances that can motivate such brave actions, emphasizing that everyday heroism is within everyone's reach with proper awareness and training.