Developing Empathy
*** Should we develop some learning objectives?” – Cindy Do you know the difference between empathy and sympathy? Based on what you know, is it better to show sympathy or empathy towards other people? Watch this short video explaining the difference between sympathy and empathy and how it works on a personal level. Before you watch, think about a time when you needed to feel support and understanding from another person. Can you remember what they said? What effect did that have?
Think about this
- Why do you think empathy is more effective than sympathy?
- Why does sympathy “not work”?
Developing cultural empathy is a skill that will allow you to consider the perspectives, experiences, and feelings of another person based on their cultural background or the struggles and challenges they face. Empathy helps you equip yourself with strategies to communicate this understanding of people around you, whether from your own or another cultural background, more effectively. One of the key elements of cultural empathy is the link between considering what one person is going through and reflecting on that coming from a place of understanding. You do not need to be an expert communicator to use empathy, but this does not come without challenges, as you will find out next.
Activity: Why Do We Need Empathy?
Watch this second short video highlighting the importance of empathy in our society. Before you watch, in your opinion, what benefits may empathy bring to intercultural interactions and society as a whole?
Activity: Why Do We Need Empathy (Text version)
Based on the video you just watched, select the three statements from the list below that better reflect the ideas discussed.
- Lack of empathy does not affect the greater society. Some people may feel confused, misunderstood, or lack supports, but thankfully these are isolated cases.
- When we make an effort to see things from other people’s eyes, particularly if we disagree with them, we allow ourselves to be more understanding and compassionate.
- We understand that most of the time, there is only one correct perspective, but people fail to understand which it is.
- People tend to build walls around themselves to retain their ideas and ways of being while repelling or attacking those who are different such that they force them to be/think like them or make them go away.
- We should be building a different type of wall that allows people from different backgrounds to have more opportunities to interact and learn from each other.
- Changing how we see the world can help us develop cultural empathy, which we can do by being curious, keeping our preconceptions aside when we meet new people, focusing on how we are similar instead of how we are different, and being more approachable.
Check your Answers in footnote[1]
Activity source: Advancing Intercultural Competence for Global Learners, CC BY-NC 4.0
Attribution & References
Except where otherwise noted, this page is adapted from “Developing Empathy” In Advancing Intercultural Competence for Global Learners by Christine McWebb, Sandra López-Rocha, & Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo-Guerrero, CC BY-NC 4.0
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- That is not right. Lack of empathy affects individuals and our society as a whole because a world without empathy breeds feelings of isolation, depression, and resentment, which only increases conflict. This is reflected in history around the world.
- That’s right! This is the essence of cultural empathy; instead of criticizing, arguing, stereotyping, and fostering prejudice, we take the time to see how things look if we were in the other person’s place. We do not need to agree with them, but we need to be able to understand them better.
- That is not right. Each one of us creates meaning and lives our lives following our perspective as we make decisions and develop our preferences, but there is no single way to behave, act, and create meaning correctly; our cultural background helps determine that.
- That’s right! Often people create invisible bubbles wherein they feel safe. Any form of difference from that unfortunately narrow and limiting perspective (e.g., differences in political views, race, or religion) could be considered a threat.
- That is not right. The idea is that we should be tearing down these divides to enable conversations that encourage people to develop understanding and lead the way to progress together in society.
- That's right! Small things we do greatly impact others (i.e., create a ripple effect). It is important to be an example for others see and learn how best to approach interactions, particularly across cultural lines. By making people feel empathized with, we create opportunities for others to do the same, encouraging them to start acting differently towards others.
