The next post I have lined up will benefit from first providing a little information about empathy first. Most of us have the natural ability to feel the emotions of others. This post provides some guidance for making the most out of empathy.
The literature cites three types of empathy: emotional, compassionate and cognitive. We are most familiar with emotional empathy, the ability to feel the emotions of others. The other two types refer to the possible actions that results from this feeling.
With compassionate empathy we act to alleviate the emotional burden of others. The altruism that benefits brain health stems from this. Studies have shown that the benefits accrue only if the act is truly selfless, as with helping a stranger. Magnanimous acts of generosity that gains attention does not provide this benefit.
With cognitive empathy we turn off the emotion and develop a cognitive understanding of what others need. Professions such as doctors or social workers rely on cognitive empathy to minimize the emotional drain of their ongoing situations. This allows them to survive and do their job better.
Emotional empathy actually can be harmful if unable to be turned into action, or actions have no positive consequence. This happens when people lament about being empaths. On the other hand emotional empathy can be healthy without subsequent action when feeling positive emotions. My situation and academic understanding has led me to cultivate this feeling of positive emotions to a large degree. More on that next time.
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Now THIS I can identify with, both from my own recent experience and from communicating with professionals, who in turn teach me how to shed the emotions when necessary. Thank you for the confirmation.