A way to hack our own narcissistic tendencies is by developing empathy. Empathy loss is something we all experience when we’ve been hurt and betrayed by someone we trusted and that person didn’t take steps to reconcile or repair the relationship. Empathy loss or compromised empathy can begin in childhood and continue to erode through exposure to trauma, dehumanising training and seeking power through upward social and professional mobility. The progressive loss of empathy without empathy restoration practices blocks emotional maturation processes required to build healthy interpersonal relationships, and results in issues such as narcissistic abuse, bullying, exploitation and other oppressive behaviours.
In this recording, I discuss a number of aspects about empathy with some guests so to help us appreciate the complexity and power of having and showing empathy to form connection and build trust with others to cultivate healthy and effective relationships.
What we discussed:
Empathy myths and facts
Being empathic
Having empathy
Showing empathy - skills and techniques for better connection
Experiencing empathy and its benefits
This an edited version of the original conversation that occurred on Clubhouse App on August 21, 2022. One of my guests is Dr. Rowshanak Hashemiyoon, a behavioural, computational and clinical neuroscientist and executive consultant who brings the science of emotion to life to increase our awareness of how empathy affects us physiologically, and other fascinating neuroscientific facts.
This recording is nearly 2 hrs. I recommend you listen to it in phases while reflecting on your own current understanding and practice of empathy when trying to form connections with others.
I would love to hear your thoughts about the content and what you've learned from this recording.
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Nathalie Martinek, PhD
The Narcissism Hacker
Doing Empathy