When we collectively come together to bring our best selves to solve the world's biggest, smallest, and most vexing problem, we are able to do so. That is the power of empathy.

Eye contact. This is the first indication that we are noticed by another person. Every human has the longing to be seen, understood, and appreciated.Muscles of facial expression. Our expressions are why we have preserved our species because they can show ranges of emotions from disgust to flirtation.Posture. It is a powerful conveyor of connection through open or closed signals, whether the person should approach or avoid.Affect. The scientific term for 'expressed emotions' and we orient ourselves to the emotional experience of the other person

What EMPATHY stands for

Our brains are working with shared neural circuits and shared neurons; some mirror neurons so that we actually have an internal experience of what happens to others. So when we hear the expression ‘I feel your pain,’ it’s not just a figure of speech. We are made for this and it happens not just with our loved ones.Moreover, when we are deprived of empathy, it declines, but the good news is that it can also be learned. In order for us to bring out the best in others, we need to have their specialness reflected back in the eyes of others so they can see it themselves.

How Empathy Works

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity will not survive.”

‘When we accept diminished substitutes we become diminished substitutes’

Tone of voice. When we are emotionally activated, our tone of voice and facial expressions change unconsciously.Hearing the whole person. It means that we are keeping our curiosity open and saving the judgment against the other person in order for us to fully understand where the other person is coming from.Your response. Our inner experiences and feelings mirror those of others. We are hard-wired for empathy and we are alive today because of mutual aid and cooperation.

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Here is what I've learned from Helen Reiss, M.D. about the power of empathy.

Dr. Riess is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She directs the Empathy & Relational Science Program, conducting research on the neuroscience of emotions and empathy, and is Co-Founder, Chief Scientist and Chairman of Empathetics, LLC. She is also a core member of the Research Consortium for Emotional Intelligence and is a faculty member of the Harvard Macy Institute for Physician Leaders. Dr. Riess has devoted her career to research on the neuroscience and art of the patient-doctor relationship and teaching psychiatry residents and medical students. Her research team conducts translational research based on the neuroscience of emotions. The effectiveness of Dr. Riess's empathy training approach has been demonstrated in several studies including a randomized controlled trial. She has developed faculty curricula for "Teaching the Teachers" of Psychotherapy that is used by faculty psychiatrists. Dr. Riess's empathy training curricula are implemented internationally in healthcare as well as in business. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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Dr. Riess is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She directs the Empathy & Relational Science Program, conducting research on the neuroscience of emotions and empathy, and is Co-Founder, Chief Scientist and Chairman of Empathetics, LLC. She is also a core member of the Research Consortium for Emotional Intelligence and is a faculty member of the Harvard Macy Institute for Physician Leaders.

Dr. Riess has devoted her career to research on the neuroscience and art of the patient-doctor relationship and teaching psychiatry residents and medical students. Her research team conducts translational research based on the neuroscience of emotions. The effectiveness of Dr. Riess's empathy training approach has been demonstrated in several studies including a randomized controlled trial. She has developed faculty curricula for "Teaching the Teachers" of Psychotherapy that is used by faculty psychiatrists. Dr. Riess's empathy training curricula are implemented internationally in healthcare as well as in business.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events anywhere and everywhere -- celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, each event curates speakers on their own, but based on TED's format and rules.

TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). 

For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request here: https://media-requests.ted.com.

HELEN REISS

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