Give me a breakdown of the definition of Empathic Concern.
What are the various forms of Empathic Concern?
Give Examples of each type of Empathic Concern?
Give 2 verified quotes that describes each from.
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of Empathic Concern, including its definition, various forms, examples, and verified quotes describing each form:
Empathic Concern is an emotional response of compassion, sympathy, or concern for someone in distress. It involves feeling for someone—motivating a desire to help or comfort them—rather than just feeling with them (which would be emotional empathy).
Key Aspect: It focuses on others' well-being, not one's own emotional resonance or distress.
Psychologist Nancy Eisenberg defines it as “an other-oriented emotion elicited by and congruent with the perceived welfare of someone in need.”
Empathic concern can be categorized into several interrelated forms, depending on the emotional orientation and context. Here are five primary forms:
Definition: A deep awareness of another's suffering with a desire to alleviate it.
Example: Seeing a homeless person in the cold and offering them a blanket or helping them find shelter.
Quotes:
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.” – Pema Chödrön
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Definition: Feeling sorrow or concern for someone else's situation, often accompanied by expressions of condolence.
Example: Sending a condolence message to a friend whose parent just passed away.
Quotes:
“Sympathy is two hearts tugging at one load.” – Charles Henry Parkhurst
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us... it is those who have chosen to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.” – Henri Nouwen
Definition: Feeling moved to help others out of genuine concern for their well-being, without expecting anything in return.
Example: Donating to a disaster relief fund after seeing images of people suffering, even if you don’t know them.
Quotes:
“True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.” – Anonymous (often attributed to various empathy researchers)
“Empathic concern is the primary motive behind altruistic behavior.” – Daniel Batson, psychologist and empathy researcher
Definition: A gentle, caring emotional response, often toward someone perceived as vulnerable or dependent.
Example: A parent feeling a soft, protective warmth toward their sleeping child.
Quotes:
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Tenderness is the rest of passion.” – Joseph Joubert
Definition: A sense of responsibility and urgency to protect someone from harm or danger.
Example: Feeling an instinctive need to defend a friend being verbally attacked or bullied.
Quotes:
“The highest form of compassion is the protection of others.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another — and then being moved to protect.” – Anonymous