Empathy is Contagious

 I found this to be very interesting, hopeful, and concerning.

Empathy is the ability a person might possess to put themselves in the shoes of another person (or animal or other) to feel what they feel and experience what they experience.

New science says it is contagious. Being around or witnessing empathy tends to increase empathy in the witness.

Here is the full story:

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/48962/20240228/empathy-contagious-change-depending-reaction-others-study.htm

Here is a snippet from the piece:

"Depending on whether empathic or non-empathic reactions were observed, empathy ratings increased or decreased," per neuroscientist Grit Hein from the University of Würzburg in Germany.

A troubling part of it is the assessment that empathy is on the decline overall. Also, lack of empathy is also contagious. That tells me this could be used as a tool for desensitization--a necessary component of conquest and dominance.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant