empathy fatigue
There are all sorts of phrases floating around these days, some more creatively identifying truths better than others. I am particularly fascinated by the truth of the phrase empathy fatigue. The phrase was introduced to me in the fall when I was asked to present my communication findings to a group of physicians.
I define empathy as the ability to understand another person's thoughts and feelings in a situation from their point of view, rather than your own. This is becoming harder and harder for people to do. Have you noticed? Just take a trip to the grocery store. Activate observation mode. You’ll note the “Sleepwalking” I’m talking about.
Empathy is a deep topic. I’m sure you’ve seen the endless headlines and research about empathy and how it relates to business society, especially leaders in business, but allow me to break it down more clearly for you; it’s everyone’s problem right now, in every industry.
According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, we increase our empathetic abilities by repetitions in the human exchange. When we are babies our parents hold us, sing to us, and play with us, etc. As we grow in the in-person human exchange, our brains continue to develop empathy as we engage with people. We learn how to feel and be empathetic by being in-person with people and by “studying” them, for lack of a better term. We also form our empathetic brain through senses like touch and feel. In the tiniest of nutshells, this is how we build our emotional intelligence (another buzzy phrase). Not only that, these small observations increase our understanding and practices in trust. Trust, as I often write about, is key for survival in social circles and in industry.
The good news, according to Goleman, is that we can always increase our emotional intelligence, unlike IQ or intellectual quotient. What’s holding us back you ask; first, mindset and second, ”the screen.”
This empathy fatigue I speak of impacts every industry in America and is entirely problematic in the business of higher education. Consider, the modern college student will soon enter the technologically demanding workforce.
Here are some quick statistics according to a report by the Pew Research Center:
100% of students have access to the internet
95% of them own a smartphone
Students spend about 8-10 hours per day on their electronic devices
Something else I’d like you to consider, our brains don’t even develop, on average, until about 25 years old. Let all of this sink in. If you’re roughly 35 years old or older, this wasn’t exactly how you spent your time in college.
I get it, technology is good but let’s really think about what’s happening here. This generation, and all generations, are replacing in-person connection with these “shiny” electronic devices. Our watches even buzz at us. AMC is here to generate a sincere, solutions-based conversation in industry, so that we can be proactive in this empathy fatigue epidemic.
Wish me luck. I’m headed to New Orleans this week where I’ll present my research on this topic to the Academy of Business Research. The empathy fatigue I speak of impacts every classroom, industry and household across the world. I’m passionate about changing that.
As a former journalist I will always be in the business of people, trust and communication. In my career I have earned countless insights about life and a richness from the genuine human exchange.
I look forward to meeting your teams, listening to your stories and communication challenges, and empathetically working with you to implement innovative solutions!
Let’s get started! Schedule a complimentary consultation today and let’s begin, Mindfully Speaking.
Also, are you searching for a keynote speaker or moderator for your next event? Reach out!
I look forward to our good work together. Sending gratitude & presence to you and your colleagues.
I hope you enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Mindfully Speaking,
Anna Michele Bulszewicz
Founder, Anna Michele Communications