Lacking Empathy? Here’s The Best Way To Step Up Your Game

Have you been accused of being cold-hearted? Maybe, you’re struggling to empathize with someone’s situation?

Let’s assume you’ve come to the realization that it’s meaningful to be able to empathize with other people’s situations. What’s the best way to do it?

Put yourself in their shoes.

Zhou et.al. (2017), in the journal, Psychological Science, tested study participants in their ability to read emotional states.

Participants in the study assumed it would be easier to understand someone’s emotional state by reading facial expressions and examining body language.

Surprisingly, when study participants were given the hint that putting yourself in another person’s shoes would be a better strategy (researchers knew this based on their earlier experimental data), participants still returned to reading facial expressions and examining body language.

Take Home Message

The best way to empathize with someone is to put yourself in their shoes. This will provide much better insight into another person’s emotional state than trying to logically evaluate how they might be feeling by reading facial expressions, evaluating body language, etc.