Covid proves ultimate leveller for empathy
The global pandemic has created a seismic shift, one where empathy and human connection are now paramount. Success in our daily lives is now measured by our emotional intelligence and ability to connect with others.
Clinical psychologist and author Dr Harold Hillman places a high value on empathy, saying it is fundamental to human connection, and cites Jacinda Ardern and Barack Obama as empathy role models.
We asked him some questions about his recent book EM-PA-THY:
What was your key driver for writing this book?
I had always intended to write a book on empathy in 2020. I outlined the first draft in January 2020, before Covid was a part of the global psyche. Then the pandemic hit and life changed for nearly everyone on the planet. The most visceral way to experience empathy is to have walked in the
Zealand?
shoes of another person. We have all walked in the same shoes navigating our way through a global pandemic, writing the rule book as we go along, each and every day. In my lifetime, there has been no other scenario which has levelled the playing field between rich and poor, educated and those not, prime ministers and our homeless citizens.
How well do we do empathy in New
Nordic countries are better with empathy, teaching its importance in primary school and throughout formal education. The Phillipines is the largest global exporter of nurses and healthcare providers in the world, reflecting a nation that values care, particularly for the elderly or disabled. Some nations are colder around empathy. I personally find New Zealand to be an easy country to live in, a view reflected by many migrants who have made the choice to become citizens here. Yes, we have a way to go around the empathy gene, particularly as our population grows more browner, blacker and Asian. But we’re far ahead of some other nations who still struggle with the basics around human dignity.
Can we learn to be more empathic or is it innate?
Empathy most definitely can be learned. Like all social mammals, humans are inherently wired to “feel” with another person. If a person is reasonably insightful and motivated, empathy can most definitely be learned.
Living through a global pandemic brings out the best (and worst) in people. How does empathy make a difference?
The pandemic has levelled the playing field among the ranks in businesses and organisations all over the world. We have all been on the same learning curve, inventing the rule books as we go along. Everyone can relate to the vulnerability associated with not knowing exactly how next week will play itself out. That is the world we are now living in. Empathy causes us to lean in a bit more, to take a little more time in a conversation, to render yourself more present when someone really needs you to be there.