It is essential for us to show empathy towards each other. Neuroscientists claimed that humans are naturally created to experience empathy through multiple neurons that exist in the brain. However, while many people seem to be naturally empathetic, others are not. For those who find it hard to be empathetic, the good news is that research shows that empathy can be learned.

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Empathy has been defined in some places as being able to understand other people’s emotions. It is the ability to have a glimpse of what someone else might be thinking. If you make a conscious attempt to understand and respect others, they’ll unintentionally learn to understand you – and this is how you can start to build cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork.

Here are a few key tips to help you become more empathetic to other people:

Listen Carefully

Listening can be easy for some people and quite difficult for a lot of other people. Learning to listen, however, is crucial if you must build a habit of empathy. Consider listening to the entire message that the other person is trying to communicate. Don’t listen partially or halfway, and make assumptions. Get the message irrespective of the tone being used. Listen with your instincts alive too.

Try to See Things from the Viewpoints of Others

This, too, could be quite difficult as many people will want to be in a hurry to make hasty conclusions from their own perceptions, not considering the perception of the other party. It is advised that you try to consider other peoples’ points of view, especially in cases that may lead to arguments. When you start to practice this, you’ll realize that there is a probability that other people aren’t being evil, unkind, stubborn, or unreasonable. They are probably just reacting to the situation with the limited knowledge they have.

Examine your Attitude

Keeping your attitude under check can be an essential factor in trying to build empathy. Bad attitudes don’t lead you anywhere. It shields people from seeing the empathetic part of you. Are you more concerned about getting your way, winning, or being right over the feelings of others? Instead of being self-centred, you should focus on finding a mutually convenient solution, building good relationships, and accepting others? Without having an open mind and attitude, you would likely not have enough room for empathy towards others.

Ask What Other People Would Do

The only way you can really understand the other person is to ask and get an answer. There when you are in doubt, ask the person to explain his/her position. This is a simple and straightforward way to understand other people. However, it seems to be the least used way to develop empathy. It’s not bad to ask what the other person really wants.

To be able to work and stay peacefully in the same environment with other people, there is a need for empathy. Therefore, learn to practice the skills mentioned above when you interact with and meet people. It will make you much more caring, approachable, and empathetic.