Developing Empathy 

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?

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.