Intersubjectivity is considered crucial not only at the relational level but also at the epistemological and even metaphysical levels For example, intersubjectivity is postulated as playing a role in establishing the truth of propositions, and constituting the so-called objectivity of objects

philosopher Aristotle

Intersubjectivity, a term originally coined by the philosopher Edmund Husserl (, is most simply stated as the interchange of thoughts and feelings, both conscious and unconscious, between two persons or “subjects,” as facilitated by empathy

Intersubjectivity in the most general sense is an experiential sharing that occurs among subjects Moreover, it is the experience of one self-determining entity, that is, a human being, co-constituting the social interaction with that of another subject, through implicit and explicit channels

The concept of empathy is used to refer to a wide range of psychological capacities that are thought of as being central for constituting humans as social creatures allowing us to know what other people are thinking and feeling, to emotionally engage with them, to share their thoughts and feelings, and to care for

Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling “Cognitive empathy,” sometimes called “perspective taking,” refers to our ability to identify and understand other people’s emotions

Some people are genetically inclined to be highly empathic or not But, generally, we develop empathy as children, primarily through observing how others show it They can also discuss the emotions of the child as well as those of others They can point out the connection between events and emotions

At its worst, people feel “empathic distress”, which can become a barrier to action Such distress leads to apathy, withdrawal and feelings of helplessness, and can even be bad for your health, according to Singer and Klimecki

Most individuals will learn empathy while growing up through observing the interactions of those around them Luckily, no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to become more empathetic Here are three ways you can actively practice empathy in your daily life

The new study has three important results First, it found that how empathetic we are is partly due to genetics Indeed, a tenth of this variation is due to genetic factors This confirms previous research examining empathy in identical versus non-identical twins

A new study found that 10 percent of differences in humans’ ability to empathize can be attributed to genetic variations Being able to identify and respond to other people’s emotions helps us maintain healthy relationships, and encourages helping behavior

While it’s true people with narcissism have lower empathy, low empathy doesn’t automatically mean no empathy Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) occurs on a spectrum People with narcissism can, in fact, show empathy and work to develop it further if they choose to do so

In fact, kindness is in our genes That’s right, according to several studies conducted over the past decade, kindness has a genetic component At least some aspect of altruism and empathy is hereditary and it’s written in our genes – our DNA But genetics are just one part of the story

Empathy is affected by neurodevelopment, brain pathology and psychiatric illness Empathy is both a state and a trait characteristic Empathy is measurable by neuropsychological assessment and neuroimaging techniques This book, first published in 2007, specifically focuses on the role of empathy in mental illness

Sometimes, emotional detachment may be the result of traumatic events, such as childhood abuse or neglect Children who are abused or neglected may develop emotional detachment as a means of survival Children require a lot of emotional connection from their parents or caregivers

Not everyone with ADHD experiences extreme emotions People with ADHD hide their emotional problems because they are embarrassed or ashamed of the way they feel Emotions are impossible to measure, so researchers ignore them

Trouble managing emotions is a common ADHD symptom Emotions can feel more intense with ADHD and get in the way of everyday life

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by the subclinical inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by one’s self or others The core characteristic of alexithymia is marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relation

Individuals with psychopathy are self-indulgent, undercontrolled, deceitful, manipulative, charming, and free of anxiety Like those characterized by the alexithymia prototype, however, they are not introspective, and they lack insight, warmth, and empathy

Easily Bored – The psychopath is easily bored, therefore needs almost constant stimulation and excitement in their life If no such excitement is present, the psychopath can easily create his own drama