Leveraging Empathic Action

In her talk about empathy, professor Anita Nowak explores the idea of an empathic action revolution. The teacher at McGill University discusses perspectives on sustainability and the role empathy plays.

She explains the difference between cognitive empathy (putting yourself is someone else's shoes) and affective empathy (when you feel what someone else is feeling) and the incredible force that is created when the two are combined. She places empathy on an "altruistic emotion continuum" where pity lies on one end and empathy rests at the other.

Empathizing is about recognizing common humanity between people and is an ability everyone is born with. The talk about empathy covers some concepts in neuroscience asks what would happen to the brain if we all spent more time thinking empathic thoughts? Or what if we started engaging in more empathic action? The speaker believes this would have positive implications for individuals and society. She calls for global interdependence where we leverage the power of empathy and embark on revolution.