Dan Siegel

This Talk tries to define empathy

Addresses the Emotional resonance and criticisms of that by Against Empathy Articles and Book.

We'll be identifying three facets of our connectedness, as fundamental aspects of empathy.

  • connections inside of our bodies,

  • connections to other human beings, and

  • connections within all of nature,


At least five aspects of empathy.

  1. Feeling another person's feelings, or emotional resonance.

  2. Perspective taking.

  3. Understanding, cognitive empathy: Where I'd logically think through with emotional insight, so it would build on emotional intelligence, how she might be conducting her life and what things might have meaning for her

  4. . Empathic Joy

  5. Empathic Concern. . And this is basically where we sent someone else is not doing so well. For example, they may be feeling sad, or really upset for various reasons, angry, fearful, some way they're suffering, they're not feeling in a positive way. And we're concerned about that suffering. we think about what might we do to help reduce that person suffering, and then we take action to reduce that suffering.


The connection about developing empathy, and developing well being.

  • self - what is the self? modern culture has sense of individualistic self.

  • relationship

  • relationship with nature


Five types of Empathy

  1. Emotional Resonance - Empathic Resonance
    you feel the feelings of another person.

  2. Perspective Taking
    Let me put myself on the other persons skin. See the world as the other person sees the world. What do you think the baby is experiencing?

  3. Cognitive Empathy
    What do you think that means for the other person? I think it probably means. speculating with is going on with the other person. A wider picture over perspective taking of what is going on with the other person. The factors of memory, emotion, judgements. Could call it empathic understanding (what about a map of the other persons world/experience?)

  4. Empathic Concern
    Synonym for compassion. I feel your pain and I want to do something about it to reduce your suffering. Empathic concern and compassion are synonyms, the same thing.
    (problem is it can become I feel pain because you are in pain and I want to alleviate my pain.) (also, just listening and being empathically present with the person helps with reducing suffering. Then next steps need to be empathically negotiated for the best results in really resolving problems.)

Step 1 - feel the other persons suffering
Step 2 - feel bad about their suffering.
Step 3 - empathic imagination - what could I do now to make you feel better.

      1. I could just be with you

      2. I could bring you some water

      3. I could get you a band aide

Step 4 - Do something if you can

  1. Empathic Joy
    I get so excited about your success. I am happy, by what I perceive in you.