Empathy

Higher empathy was associated with lower burnout. Empathy training can reduce bullying and reactive cruelty by making emotional consequences more visible. The study measured empathy using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Empathy is a trainable skill rather than a fixed personality trait. Empathy is presented as a powerful route for developing kindness. Empathy can be intentionally triggered and practiced rather than being purely spontaneous. Perspective-taking increases the likelihood that a person will help someone else. Humans have neural systems that allow them to simulate another person's point of view and understand what that person may be experiencing. Personal experience of hurt or exclusion can become a basis for treating others with dignity. The mirror neuron system is one brain system associated with the capacity for empathy. PPE, limited bedside time, and restricted face-to-face contact were described as desensitising and depersonalising. Fear, media exposure, and stress can dampen empathic responses. Reframing personal fear as a shared human experience can shift a person from isolation toward empathy.