Angus Grieg #JamilZaki #Connection #Empathy #Human #Psychology #Psychotherapy #MentalHealth #BlackTherapist #Triple5LightTherapy Empathy — or understanding the thoughts and feelings of the people around us — is one of the most important and most trying parts of being a social creature. But what exactly is empathy? And crucially, can we have more? Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki PhD , director of the Social Neuroscience Laboratory there, studies these very questions. In a TEDxMarin talk, he says that human empathy is actually a skill that can be developed rather than a fixed trait. “Empathy is a simple word for a complex idea,” he explains. “Research psychologists understand empathy as an umbrella terms for multiple ways that we respond to other people’s emotions.” Why is empathy so important? Some of the reasons are more obvious: “It inspires us to help family members, friends, and strangers,” says Dr. Zaki. “It helps us see past differences and allows us to see others