(Well 2017)

(Tara Well 2017)

Compassion Is Better than Empathy

Neuroscience explains why.

Tara Well

Mar 04, 2017

"Empathic people feel the pain of others acutely. Is it possible to be too empathic? Could feeling too deeply for someone else’s pain or sorrow actually hurt you? Indeed, too much empathy can be debilitating. When we become too distressed about the suffering of others, we don’t have the cognitive and emotional resources available to do much to help them. Having compassion, a cognitive understanding how they’re feeling, is better for our own well-being and the well-being of those in need."

Criticisms

  • too much empathy can be debilitating

  • compassion is better than empathy

  • empathy drains you

  • “feeling for and not feeling with the other.” sympathy is better than empathy.

Mistakes in articles criticisms