There are lots of ways to gain empathy for others. There’s the media—books, TV, movies, online videos, podcasts. There are […]

Is too much empathy bad for your mental health? Recently the New York Times published an opinion piece by Adam […]

To quote probably the most-often quoted opening line in literature: “It was the best of times, it was the worst […]

Shortly after Roe v. Wade went into effect, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my mom and my […]

“Ally.” It’s a buzzword you hear frequently. People who are white, heterosexual, male, Christian, etc. want to be allies to […]

There is a line between laughing at someone and laughing with someone. That line is empathy. Normally I wouldn’t do […]

It is tempting to think that one is expanding one’s empathy for others by, for example, listening to a podcast […]

It feels like people often think about empathy in terms of understanding other people’s pain, suffering or hardships. And that […]

As we come to the end of a very difficult year, 2020 stands out as a time when we lost […]

This essay was first published on the original Empathy Symbol website many years ago. It still applies. Remember the old […]

I have been thinking lately about how empathy goes hand-in-hand with respect. You can’t really say you have empathy for […]

Has the pandemic increased or decreased empathy in our lives and our world? As usual, the answer seems to be, […]

I recently saw the movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Also, I have been living through the last weeks […]

The empathy symbol stands for people reaching out to each other and opening up to feel what the other is […]

We hear a lot these days about how tribalism is increasing–us vs them, reds vs blues, etc. Along with this, […]

A friend shared on Facebook a beautiful story of empathy from one oppressed people for another. The BBC told about […]

A recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune tells about a brilliant idea that promotes understanding between cultures. And not only […]

It is very heartening to see the outpouring of support for immigrants, after Donald Trump’s ban on immigration from several […]

I was an empathetic child. I believe almost all children are inherently empathetic, because human beings are tribal, social animals […]

So, with the election of Donald Trump, people are saying that we can finally say “Merry Christmas” again. Like, we […]

My book club just read a stunningly beautiful book: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. It is her memoir of her childhood […]

The election for president of the U.S. this year has been more divisive than any I have ever seen, and […]

There is a beautiful article in the Opinion section of the New York Times that never uses the word empathy, […]

Let’s be honest. It’s hard to deliberately subject yourself to pain. Which is what you’re doing if you’re an empathetic […]

A reader of the last blog post commented that empathy for animals is equally as important as empathy for humans. […]

That’s right, for a bird. One tiny, meaningless little gull provoked a great deal of empathy among a group of […]

When I transferred this blog to the new website, I found one unfinished post. In it, I pondered why humans […]

The New York Times published an article by a psychologist named Paul Bloom, titled “Imagining the Lives of Others.” In […]

An article in the Star Tribune by a student named Kate Ross is a reminder that the best way to […]

I’m glad people like the empathy symbol. But to be perfectly honest, perhaps sometimes it should be drawn with the […]

Apparently, Scrooge is alive and well these days. He’s not just a relic from Dickens’ time, not just a character […]

My son Zack just shared this article with me. It’s fascinating and thought-provoking, and highly recommended. It’s called, Six Habits […]

Chris Kluwe is the former Minnesota Vikings punter who became famous when he published an enraged response on Deadspin to […]

I tried to write about the Boston Marathon bombings a week ago and got one sentence written before I was […]

President Barack Obama recently gave a brilliant speech to the citizens of Israeli, asking them to consider how things are […]

I just finished listening to a broadcast of a fascinating radio show about empathy, from a scientific viewpoint, that aired […]

Michele Norris of NPR has created an elegant, brilliant way to get the conversation on race kick-started again. It’s called […]

A devoted reader sent me a link to an interesting article in the New York Times about the science of […]

Social media offers an amazing opportunity for the growth of empathy. In particular, blogs give people the chance to connect […]

The empathy symbol is defined by the line between the two halves of the symbol, portraying two groups who would […]

A friend sent me a very interesting link to a report about empathy in rats. I was interested for 2 […]

I said back in May that the next book I would be reading was “The Science of Evil: On Empathy […]

A faithful supporter recently sent me an interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education in which the writer asks […]

I read a very inspiring article in the New York Times about a new Facebook page that is connecting young […]

Lately, several things have added up to my asking the question in the title. On The Daily Show this week, […]

I have a good friend who has cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer last fall, had 3 surgeries, and […]

We just watched the movie “Milk” this evening, and it occurred to me afterward what an appropriate thing this was […]

My New Year’s resolution might surprise some people. I resolve to be more empathetic. Yes, I am generally a pretty […]

I feel like there is a tsunami of religious intolerance sweeping the globe lately. In New York: The growing controversy […]

My son, Zack, sent me this e-mail in response to my query as to whether young people are really less […]