“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.” – Max Carver
We think Max Carver got it right and that if we truly care about community building and making positive changes in the world, we have to invest in learning about how to become even more empathic as empathy is at the heart of true understanding. We asked some deeply empathic leaders to share their perspectives below.
Cynthia Pierre
My upbringing has profoundly shaped my understanding of empathy. Growing up, I witnessed my mother pour her heart and soul into raising four children under challenging circumstances. Her resilience and determination were not just inspiring; they were foundational in helping me develop a strong sense of empathy. Read More>>
Natalia Caraballo
I love how this question is phrased because it really all does come down to the privilege we have of being born into healthy conditions in our early home life and/or from curating our own new environment that purposefully allows to develop our empathy further. Read More>>
Molly Riddle
I didn’t really learn empathy—I grew into it. When I was little, I felt everything deeply, even when I didn’t have the words for it. My family didn’t talk about emotions, so I learned to read energy instead. Sensitivity was always there; it just needed space. California ended up giving me that space. Read More>>
Hadassah Patterson
This is really a critical one, especially right now. Empathy is feeling *with* others, whereas sympathy is feeling for them. For instance, a lesser offshoot of sympathy would be pity. Sympathy is more closed off — where we view someone’s condition from an emotional distance. Read More>>
DANA ODEH
Growing up Palestinian and witnessing the challenges faced by my own community taught me early on that every person carries a depth we don’t always see. Living in different countries, meeting people from diverse backgrounds, and experiencing both comfort and hardship helped me understand how universal human struggle, and human strength, really is. Read More>>
Adam Lincoln
When I was a kid I remember the distinct feeling of sitting upright in my bed every morning before school shaking with anxiety. I’ll never forget the overwhelming nausea and sense of pure fear that riddled my body. I learned that these episodes were panic attacks, and although they have not subsided I have learned to cope with them. Read More>>
