# data[].attributes.body
All humans are connected by genetics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Whether you hail from Surbiton, Ulan Bator or Nairobi, your genetic make-up is strikingly similar to that of every other person on Earth, an analysis concludes today.

Although scientists have long recognised that, despite physical differences, all human populations are genetically similar, the new work concludes that populations from different parts of the world share even more genetic similarities than previously assumed.

All humans are 99.9 per cent identical and, of that tiny 0.1 per cent difference, 94 per cent of the variation is among individuals from the same populations and only six per cent between individuals from different populations.

Nonetheless, the team found that tiny differences in DNA can provide enough information to identify the geographic ancestry of individual men and women.

The results of the study, published today in the journal Science, have implications for understanding ancient human migrations and for resolving an ongoing debate about the use of family histories in medical research, said Prof Marcus Feldman of Stanford University who led the team.

The team analysed DNA from 1,056 people from 52 populations in five major geographic regions of the world: Africa, Eurasia (Europe, the Middle East, Central and South Asia), East Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

To identify specific populations, the research team looked for 377 "microsatellites" - short segments of human DNA that occur in specific patterns, which are passed down from generation to generation.

"Each microsatellite had between four and 32 distinct types," Prof Feldman said. "Most were found in people from several continents, suggesting that only a tiny fraction of genetic traits are distinctive to specific populations. This means that visible differences between human groups - such as skin colour and skull shape - result from differences in a very small proportion of genetic traits."

Using powerful statistical techniques that use many independent genes it was possible to pinpoint the ancestral continent of virtually every individual from Africa, East Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

People from Eurasia - which includes Europe, the Middle East and Central/South Asia - were among the most difficult to assign ancestries, Prof Feldman noted, due to a "complex history of migrations, conquests and trade over the past few thousand years."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DNA survey finds all humans are 99.9pc the same

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether you hail from Surbiton, Ulan Bator or Nairobi, your genetic make-up is strikingly similar to that of every other person on Earth, an analysis concludes today. Although scientists have long recognised that, despite physical differences, all human populations are genetically similar, the new work concludes that populations from different parts of the world share even more genetic similarities than previously assumed.

# data[].attributes.body
Animals and humans are connected by food chains

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Food chains & food webs (article) | Ecology | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How food chains and food webs represent the flow of energy and matter. Trophic levels and efficiency of energy transfer.

# data[].attributes.body
Family, Romantic, and Professional Relationships

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Different Types of Interpersonal Relationships

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Individuals who are compatible with each other enter into an interpersonal relationship. Let us go through the different types of interpersonal relationships.

# data[].attributes.body
How to make strong connections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image credit: Cultura RM Exclusive | Seb Oliver | Getty Images

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We are innately social creatures, hardwired to seek each other out and profoundly shaped by our relationships and alliances.

Our ability to empathize, relate to one another and communicate our thoughts and ideas is what sets us apart and makes us uniquely human. We naturally seek deeper associations with people as a way of identifying and better understanding others and ourselves. But the truth is, it's not always easy to make those connections.

The bonds we create are key to building our businesses and creating full and happy lives. However, in a busy world full of distractions it can be hard to build friendships, especially when we have limited time.

Here are 10 ways you can begin to build deeper connections with anyone you meet.

1. Pay attention.

When someone is talking to you, it's important that you really focus on what they're saying and pay attention to the details they give. You can learn so much about someone just by really listening to them and noticing both their verbal and nonverbal communication.

Checking your phone or scanning the room to see who to talk to next is rude and dismissive and shows that you don't really care about what the other person is saying. Make eye contact. Ask questions. Focus on getting to know the other person, even if you only have limited time to talk.
Related: How to Immediately Connect With Anyone
2. Make a good first impression.

Body language is intimately tied to how others perceive you and their first impressions of you. How you hold yourself, your posture and your facial expressions are cues others will look at to appraise what type of person you are and whether you are approachable and likable. Be aware of your expressions, tone of voice and gestures.

Do you make eye contact throughout a conversation, indicating interest? Or do you keep your arms folded in front of you, forming a barrier? Remember that nonverbal communication is just as important as the words you use.
Related: 13 Body Language Blunders That Can Make You Look Bad
3. What's my name?

Not everyone is gifted at putting names to faces, and it can be particularly difficult to remember names if you are in a social setting where you're meeting a lot of people in a short amount of time. But remembering people's names and being able to address them directly will instantly make them feel acknowledged and welcomed.

When you meet people for the first time, try saying their name several times during your conversation and introducing them to others. For example: "Nice to meet you, Larry. Have you met Josie?" The more times you say their name, the easier it will be to remember it.

Ask people about themselves. What are their hobbies or pastimes? Find something that will help lock their name into your memory bank. Try to think of something funny or memorable to associate with them or use a mnemonic device to remember their name (e.g., Calvin from California or Bobbie with the bobbed haircut).
Related: 5 Tricks to Remembering Anybody's Name
4. Have a connection story.

Make yourself memorable by having a story about yourself that gives insight into who you are and what you're about. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, come up with a narrative about why this is important to you and what experiences have fueled your desires and life goals.

Your connection story should be specific and include a series of events as well as other people. It should be meaningful and give people a window into your beliefs and motivations. It should also make others feel comfortable sharing their stories with you.

Use storytelling to give people a glimpse into who you are and what you believe. Stories capture people's attention more than rattling off dry facts and information.
Related: The Strongest Connections Come From Telling Your Story
5. Add value.

Find ways to make yourself invaluable and people will appreciate you. Being of service to others, even in small ways, is a great way to connect.

Maybe you have a tip on a job that will be coming open, or maybe you know someone who is looking for services they offer. It could be something as small as lending them a book or telling them about a great TED talk or YouTube video on a topic they are interested in. Learn to embrace generosity and you will make yourself and others more successful.
Related: Set Yourself Free -- Let Go of the Dead Weight In Your Life
6. Do your research.

If you find that having off-the-cuff conversations makes your palms sweat and prompts you to run for the door, consider doing a little groundwork ahead of time. Thinking through some questions to ask people will help put your mind at ease and alleviate anxiety.

The goal isn't to have a list of questions you can pull out and recite. The idea is that a little prep work will help you feel confident and relaxed so you can have a fluid conversation. Before you go to a social function or networking event, come up with three open-ended or thought-provoking questions to help keep your conversation moving.

Make sure they aren't too invasive or personal; however, they should be deep enough to make the person think about their response. A more meaningful and deeper conversation will make you more memorable and help others feel a connection to you.
Related: A Small Talk Survival Guide for the Schmooze-Averse
7. Spark interest with a conversation piece.

Sometimes all it takes to stand out in a crowd is showing off your unique fashion style. Do you have a signature color you like to wear? A fondness for Hawaiian shirts? Or perhaps you like wearing Converse sneakers with your dress pants.

Wearing something that can be a conversation starter will help you seem both approachable and unique. However, make sure that you aren't opening yourself up to be the butt of jokes or turning people off with something potentially offensive. Think of this as a chance to show a little flair, help you stand out from the crowd and put a smile on people's faces.
Related: 3 Conversation Starters to Convert Prospects Into Customers
8. Wear your heart on your sleeve.

We all have thoughts, ideas, beliefs and goals. Be willing to share a bit of yourself -- who you are and what you believe in -- and others will naturally be curious and want to engage you. Have you lived an interesting life or are you passionate about a cause? People will find you more interesting and memorable if they know more about your experiences and what makes you tick.

This doesn't mean you should monopolize conversations. Be careful not to pontificate or lecture others on a cause or issue you care about. Simply embrace your passions and share them with others -- it may be a great way to engage in deeper conversations or friendly debates.
Related: 5 Ways You Benefit From Sharing Your Story Of Struggle
9. Be open to learning.

As great as it is to share your life experiences, you should remember nobody likes a know-it-all. Always be open to hearing other people's ideas and stories. Share the stage and resist the urge to always try and "one up" someone with your knowledge or expertise.

You can break down walls by hearing what someone else has to say. Chances are you don't actually know everything, and being open to hearing another point of view will shed light on something new.
Related: Why You Should Strive to Be a Lifelong Learner
10. Show you care.

Being genuine and showing empathy and kindness will never go out of style, and costs you absolutely nothing. Show your gratitude to others by saying thank you and being grateful to those who help you. You can start building deeper connections with people simply by showing your human side.

If you are uplifting, positive and show common courtesy to those around you, you will begin building bonds that go beyond business. Never underestimate the power of real friendships.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Ways to Connect With Absolutely Anyone You Meet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. We are innately social creatures, hardwired to seek each other out and profoundly shaped by our relationships and alliances. Our ability to empathize, relate to one another and communicate our thoughts and ideas is what sets us apart and makes us uniquely human.

# data[].attributes.body
As humans, we start making connections early on in life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Bonding refers to the special attachment that forms between a mother and father and their new baby. That bond is what sends parents rushing into their newborn's room in the middle of the night at the slightest whimper. It's also what makes parents want to instinctively care for and nurture their child.

Sometimes, the bond is immediate -- parents fall in love the instant they set eyes on their little "bundle of joy." Other times, bonding with the baby takes longer. Studies have found that about 20% of new moms and dads feel no real emotional attachment to their newborn in the hours after delivery. Sometimes, it takes weeks or even months to feel that attachment. If you haven't begun bonding with your baby, don't feel anxious or guilty -- it should come with time.

Why Do Parents Bond With Their Baby?

Bonding is an important human instinct that gives babies a sense of security and self-esteem. Bonding also helps parents feel connected to their newest family member. It begins to happen even before the baby is born -- when you feel the first little flutters in your belly or see your baby kick on the ultrasound screen. Your baby also starts getting to know you in the womb through the sound of your voice.

How Does Parent-Baby Bonding Happen?

Bonding happens in many ways. When you look at your newborn, touch her skin, feed her, and care for her, you're bonding. Rocking your baby to sleep or stroking her back can establish your new relationship and make her feel more comfortable. When you gaze at your newborn, she will look back at you. In mothers who are breastfeeding, baby's cries will stimulate the let-down of milk.

Why Am I Not Bonding With My Baby?

Although bonding can be immediate for some people, others stare at the tiny, bawling creature they have just brought home from the hospital and wonder, "Who is this person?" Don't feel guilty if you aren't bonding with your baby right from the start. Remember that the process sometimes takes time. As you care for your new baby, you may find that your attachment grows. It may not be until the first time your baby shoots you a toothless grin that you suddenly realize you have bonded.

Continued

Bonding can be especially difficult if you had a C-section or couldn't see your baby right after the birth. It can also be difficult if your baby was premature and had to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or if you adopted the child. It may take longer to bond in these instances, but it eventually should happen.

Some mothers develop postpartum depression, which prevents them from completely bonding with their baby. The pain and exhaustion from childbirth -- especially from a difficult delivery -- can also get in the way of the bonding process.

Sometimes, a mother's or father's situation can affect her or his relationship with the new baby. Any of the following can interfere with your efforts at bonding:

A childhood that lacked a positive parental role model

A history of depression or mental illness

A past pregnancy loss or loss of a child

Lack of a social network

Life stresses such as a difficult job, unemployment, or other financial troubles

Marital problems or abuse

Are There Tips for Bonding With My Baby?

Here are some suggestions that will make it easier to bond with your baby:

Ask to room-in with your baby at the hospital. Sleeping in the same room will give you more time to get to know one another.

If your baby is premature, ask the hospital staff if you can touch and hold him. Just talking to your baby can help the two of you bond. Visit the NICU often to see your baby.

Once you get home, spend as much time as possible with your baby by wearing her in a sling or carrier, rocking her on your lap, or singing her a song. Your voice and touch can be very comforting.

Try giving your baby a gentle massage. Research has found that massage can not only improve the relationship between parent and baby, but it also can relieve stress in premature infants and ease postpartum depression in the mother. To learn how to massage your baby the right way, get a video, read a book, or take a class at a local hospital.

Try making skin-to-skin contact with your newborn. This practice, called "kangaroo care," is often used in premature babies, but studies are finding that it's also calming to babies born full-term. It not only helps with bonding, but it also can improve your baby's ability to breastfeed.

Continued

Dads sometimes have more difficulty bonding with their new baby, especially because they miss out on the direct contact of breastfeeding. Here are some ways to enhance the father-baby bonding experience:

Try to begin bonding with your baby before he is born. Put your hand on your partner's belly to feel the baby kick, go with her to the doctor for prenatal visits, and start thinking about the kind of father you want to be.

Be in the delivery room during the baby's birth and take part in the delivery as much as possible.

Help out with the baby's care: take over a few late-night feedings, give the baby a bath, change diapers, or sing the baby to sleep.

Walk with the baby in a carrier close to your body.

If a few months have passed and you're worried that you still haven't bonded with your baby, talk to your pediatrician. He or she can determine whether a psychological or health issue may be the cause of the problem.

Sources

SOURCES:

Hernandez-Reif, M, Diego, M, and Field T Infant Behavior and Development, 2007.

O'Higgins, M., St. James Roberts, I., Glover, V. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2008.

Lee, H. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi, 2006.

Ferber, S and Makhoul, I. Pediatrics, 2004.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bonding refers to the special attachment that forms between a mother and father and their new baby. That bond is what sends parents rushing into their newborn's room in the middle of the night at the slightest whimper. It's also what makes parents want to instinctively care for and nurture their child.

# data[].attributes.body
Can we survive without them?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

At some point in our lives, a thought, equally terrifying and fascinating, has crossed our minds: What if I was the last person on Earth? What would it be like?

Of course, logically speaking, the chances of the entire human species, bar one, disappearing entirely over a short space of time is practically zero, unless of course Earth were ever visited again by one of those giant celestial bodies that befell the dinosaurs. If anyone was ever unfortunate enough to gain the mantle of the last person on Earth, it would probably come about as a result of decades, or maybe a century or more, of continuous and steady population decline.

In this article, I want to try to examine not how a person would end up in this situation, but what they would have to do next. Could they find enough to eat and drink? Could they find enough shelter? Most importantly of all, could they tolerate eternal solitude?

A Tainted Paradise

Let's imagine that as per normal our person goes to bed at around 10:30 pm, after a long hard day at work. They fully expect to wake tomorrow to the sounds that have greeted them virtually every morning of their life: in particular, the sound of human voices, whether it be the TV, radio or the people they share their house with. Tomorrow will be just another normal day, right? During the night, however, as our little thought experiment commences, every single other person disappears, leaving them totally alone.

The next morning arrives, and they end up waking up late; both their radio and alarm clock have failed to rouse them. Moreover, their customary glance out of the window alerts them to the fact that there is something not quite right. The only sounds they can hear are the gentle rustling of the wind, birdsong from the trees, and maybe a dog barking hereabouts. Their mind quickly registers the absence of ever present sounds such as the hum of traffic, and the roar of jets coming into land at the nearby airport.

As the day wears on, the stunning reality of being totally alone begins to hit home. They've inherited a tainted paradise, a world in which they are King or even God, they can do whatever they want, but they're a King without a Kingdom, it takes subjects to make a Kingdom.

What happens next, very much depends on the persons personality, if they are of the rugged, individualist mould, they make welcome, perhaps even relish the chance to remake the world in a way they see fit. But we're in danger of sliding further into the realms of fantasy, so what is the reality? How long would the average, run-of-the-mill person survive alone on the planet?

Coming to Terms

Initially of course, the person would have to come to terms with the total shock and grief of losing loved ones and also the sheer bewilderment of it all. But how would quickly would a 21 st Century westerner be able to adapt to a world, where they are responsible for all aspects of their survival.

Survival and Bushcraft experts always talk about three simple basic necessities- water, food and shelter. Finding shelter would be simple; the person would have a wealth of empty buildings to choose from. On average, a human can survive six weeks without any food, but barely a couple of days without water. With everybody else gone, there's no more electricity, no more maintenance. As a result, pumping stations and treatment works plants that help supply water to our homes would quickly stop working. Our survivor would be able to gain access to considerable amounts of water stored in domestic tanks, but the window of opportunity would be brief, as the water would turn stagnant pretty quickly.

As a matter of fact, our survivor, instead of simply being able to drink freely from any fresh source, would probably have to resort to one of the ultimate symbols of 21 st Century decadence, bottled water. If they managed to break into a supermarket, then they could easily utilise thousands of litres of purified water sealed tightly in storage containers in the warehouse. In addition to preserved water, they could gather preserved food; the best option would be to harvest tinned food, some of which can remain perfectly edible for decades. However, fresh food would very quickly disappear from the meal, as most such as fruit and vegetables would begin to spoil within a day or two without preservation. With nothing to power the refrigerators, the same fate will befall frozen foods, in more or the less the same sort of timescale. If our survivor ever wanted to once again savour the taste of fresh food, then they would have to learn how to either grow or gather crops, and also how to fish and hunt. The hunting, in particular would be a tall order for our survivor, because they would have to track the animal, kill it, and then butcher it properly before finally getting the chance to taste the meat.

Learning New Skills

So, if our survivor wanted to learn how to live off the land, how would they go about it? There are plenty of places that stock fishing rods and other equipment, so obtaining fish would be simple in one way, but of course, catching a fish is more than just casting a tackle into a body of water. It's about knowing where the best places are? How not to disturb the fish? And which species are the best to catch? With hunting the principles are similar, our survivor would need a good weapon such as a rifle or shotgun, but of course ammo would be in limited supply, and they would find it near enough impossible to make more; so, somewhere down the line our survivor would need to learn the art of bow making and also honing their marksmanship skills with a spear.

Even, if a survivor were able to obtain these crucial items, they would also need to learn the habits and behaviour of game, the way that their scent and the direction of the wind are interlinked, and the way it can either help or hinder them. They would also need to learn the different tracks and signs left behind by animals to aid with hunting.

In reality, unless they were a truly exceptional individual, it would take years just to learn, let alone master these skills. Our survivor would have to rely solely on the information contained in books. While literature can be very useful, certain practical skills require that you witness somebody else performing the task beforehand, so you can then copy, and then learn by rote. Sadly books cannot replicate this important step in the learning process.

Earth Without Humans

Future Considerations

While our survivor adapts to a new world, time continues to tick by blindly as it's done without interruption for an eternity. For our survivor, weeks will soon transform into months, and months into years. Looking at their survival over this sort of timescale, means delving further and further into the world of speculation; but one thing we can be certain of, is that in the long term the cities will become dangerous places to live.

Almost immediately the works of humanity will begin to crumble. There are some buildings of course that will stand the test of time for centuries, maybe even millennia. We know this, because of startling manmade beauties such as the Pyramids, Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China that will age like mountains. Among our more modern beauties that will endure into geological time will be Mount Rushmore, those famous presidential faces will still be recognisble perhaps in millions of years time, providing there is anything around to recognise them.

However, very few of our buildings are truly built to last. Without regular and careful maintenance, most of our buildings will fall victims to periodic attacks of rain, frost and heat. Indeed, many of our family homes that seem so secure, would be reduced to mere rubble in as little as thirty years. Roofs would lose their tiles; the walls would absorb moisture, resulting in damp and mouldy patches appearing everywhere. The woodwork would rot, and vegetation would blow in, through open windows and force its way through concrete and asphalt. In a few decades, the onslaught of vegetation would literally suffocate the house. An equally significant threat would be fire, all it would take is a single lightning strike, and without a fire service to stop it, a small house fire could transform into a city wide inferno.

The countryside wouldn't be without peril either. Over time, the depletion of livestock and crops would make food harder to find, thus paradoxically our survivor would be compelled to venture into dangerous, crumbling cities in order to get what they need. Some areas of the countryside would be best avoided altogether. Don't forget that the world is now home to over 400 nuclear power plants, while many have automated systems in place to avoid meltdowns in the absence of humans. There is still the danger of spent fuel, without people to keep the fuel cool in massive pools, the temperature would increase rapidly, causing a rolling blanket of explosions all around the world, spewing radiation out far and wide. Each explosion would be the equivalent of a Chernobyl, which would mean that certain areas of the planet would be no go areas for maybe a decade, but what Chernobyl has taught us, is that eventually the environment would recover; nature is more resilient than we think.

Hygiene would be both a short and long term issue for our survivor, as already mentioned most fresh water would be unsuitable. Remember that sewage pumping stations around the world help to ensure that by and large our rivers and lakes are kept free of waste. But without the human element, these vital sources would quickly become too polluted for bathing, and crucially for drinking. Any water collected would need to be purified for drinking. Another important consideration is clothes, washing clothes without modern machines would be a back breaking chore, so it would probably be best if they simply make forays into abandoned department stores and swipe whatever clothes they could find.

General health would be another major concern, while the chance of catching an infectious disease would be practically zero, a simple cut, sprain or accident could prove fatal if our survivor fails to take steps to train themselves up medically. Then there's transport to factor in, initially the world would be their oyster, but as the roads become progressively clogged with weeds, only the most rugged of vehicles would be able to traverse them. In as little as 20 years, the roads would be inaccessible to even the most practical off road vehicle. In 50 years, trees would be growing out of the crumbling asphalt which were once Motorways.

Alone in a New World

The challenges presented above are daunting to say the least, but our survivor would have no shortage of help, in the form of millions of books stored in bookshops and libraries. If they look hard enough they could find the suitable literature to help them with almost every problem. For our survivor, life would be tough and at times brutish, but provided they kept their wits about them, and stayed out of trouble, our survivor could lead a comfortable life, maybe even a luxurious life if they so choose.

They may find the changes occurring in the natural world fascinating, namely the gradual erosion of domestic plants and animals, mostly unfit to survive without humans; although some would live on, albeit after going through a rewilding process, e.g. dogs crossbreeding with wolves, and gradually merging themselves into the wolf gene pool. For our survivor the world would be their playground, they could go anywhere, perhaps raiding museums and art galleries in order to obtain the finest works of art known to man, they could drive the best cars ever made, and wear the coolest clothes.

But as the years drift by, these pleasures would pale into insignificance, as it would gradually dawn on our survivor that their biggest challenge wasn't simply to keep themselves alive, but to keep themselves sane. The truth of the matter is that humans are not solitary creatures. We evolved to live in tribes; it's likely that our survivor would swap all of their material luxuries for just one single human companion. They could keep a dog, but man's best friend can only do so much, from time to time they would need to talk to another human, to share triumphs, to express grievances, to take comfort in the one thing that another human being can offer that no dog could, empathy. While life for our survivor would be fun for a while, the lack of human company would almost certainly result in them descending into madness. Hopefully this terrifying fate will never happen to anybody.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Would Happen If You Were the Last Person on Earth?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At some point in our lives, a thought, equally terrifying and fascinating, has crossed our minds: What if I was the last person on Earth? What would it be like?

# data[].attributes.body
Why make them?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Children can expand their thinking by making connections.

April 22, 2016 - Author: Kylie Rymanowicz , Michigan State University Extension

Children sort and categorize objects as one way of learning how things are connected.

Making connections is just another way to describe learning how things are related to each other and how the physical world works. Babies make connections from the minute they're born, like knowing that when they see a bottle it is feeding time. As young children grow and develop, they learn to make connections in order to understand and master their worlds. We continue to make these connections all the way into adulthood, and these connections are what allow us to understand and be successful in the world we live in. This can be as simple as recognizing the need to bring your umbrella to work when the sky is dark and cloudy, to making smart financial decisions because you understand interest rates and debt accumulation.

Making connections

In "Mind in the Making: The seven essential life skills every child needs," author Ellen Galinsky explains that making connections actually involves developing an understanding of how things are connected, including:

Similarities. Children naturally learn to sort and categorize objects. They classify by shape, size, color and type.

Differences. Classifying objects requires understanding how they are different, just as much as it does understanding how they are the same. For example, understanding that penguins and ostriches are birds, but unlike other birds they do not fly.

Relationships. Plates, spoons and forks are all different objects. They may not be similar in shape, size or even color, but they are related because they are all objects used to eat. Children build connections by gaining an understanding of how things are related.

Unusual connections. When children are able to make connections that are unusual or that go against the norm, they have the basis for true creative thinking. As they develop their own unique perspective, they can think of new and interesting ways to understand and interact in the world. For example, taking a game they understand, like baseball, and then making new an innovate connections to change it into a new game.

Supporting the development of communicating

Make mistakes OK. Making mistakes is a necessary part of learning, and when children make mistakes they also make connections. In fact, those lessons are often the easiest to remember because children have experienced a real-life consequence.

Encourage exploration in play. Help children make a treasure map or hunt for buried treasures. This will give them a fun and entertaining opportunity to explore and make connections in their environment.

Play games. Help children learn about connections by playing sorting games. You could go on a "shape hunt" and search for objects of different shapes.

Point out new connections. Promote making new connections by giving children feedback on their thinking. Help them see connections they may not have noticed on their own and ask questions like: what do you notice, why do you think that happened, what does it mean, etc.

Encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Help children see things in different ways. Ask them to imagine what life would be like if we only walked backwards, or if we could only run places, and never walk. Help them think in new and creative ways.

For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Tags: cognition and general knowledge, early childhood development, family, msu extension

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children can expand their thinking by making connections. April 22, 2016 - Author: Kylie Rymanowicz , Michigan State University Extension Making connections is just another way to describe learning how things are related to each other and how the physical world works.

# data[].attributes.body
Using them as an advantage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In its 2016 The Future of Jobs report, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2020 many adults will be employed in jobs that do not exist today. Changes in technology, emerging markets, shifting demographics, and other disruptions will create a wholly new employment landscape. In particular, forecasters predict a shift in sought-after job skills from technical expertise to interpersonal, soft skills. In the years to come, employers will continue to seek out team members skilled at communication, collaboration, and persuasion.

You may have already noticed this shift taking place in your industry. From sales to engineering, new generations of employees and their employers are placing an emphasis on emotional intelligence, relationship building, and teamwork.

A step ahead: The importance of personal connections to your business.
Technology has opened up new economic avenues all over the globe. When choosing a product or partner, businesses and consumers can select from a worldwide array of organizations. Being selected in this competitive market requires more than just presenting a valuable product or service. As Mark Bonchek and Cara France explain in this Harvard Business Review article, to remain competitive, businesses must create a mutually beneficial relationship between their organization and its customers.

An important part of developing any relationship is creating trust between both parties. In her article, The Science of When You Need In-Person Communication, Laura Vanderkam shares that personal interaction is one of the best ways to build trust between individuals and enthusiasm for shared projects. The ability to shake hands, see verbal expressions, and detect other non-verbal cues all help to foster a stronger, more trusting relationship.

Beyond business: How personal connections benefit you.
Of course, the traditional reasons for building relationships continue to be important. Despite new technologies that allow us to participate in cyber conferences and webinars, networking and in-person conferences aren't going anywhere. Thought leadership and influence still depend on building personal relationships. Making more connections means gaining more advocates and extending your reach.

But, let's dig a little deeper. Beyond building your business and your personal brand, how can learning to form and nurture these types of connections benefit you?

It may seem obvious, but one of the greatest benefits of making personal connections is friendship. Working and pursuing your career can be lonely. One of the best benefits of taking the time to connect with other professionals is that they understand your journey. When you are facing challenges or frustrations, a trusted friend can prove invaluable. The best time to find a true friend is before you need one.

Another thing I value about connecting with others is knowledge discovery. We can't all be experts in all things. Nor does any one person have the time to track down every interesting idea. When you spend time connecting with others, you have the opportunity to gain from their knowledge and share your own. Working as a team often leads to discoveries that a single person alone might not ever find. Collaborating with my friends energizes and inspires me.

Finally, opening yourself to forming new relationships also opens the door to serendipity. None of us can predict the future. Sometimes life just happens, and if you aren't participating you'll miss out. A chance encounter might become the foundation for a great business venture or a new career. You never know who you're going to meet until you've met them.

For these and many other reasons, everyone can benefit from developing their softer side and learning to form real and lasting relationship connections. In the following articles, I'll share how you can find, make, and sustain great connections. So, please, keep reading as we explore making connections together.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Learn even more about storytelling, public speaking and communication at the BostonSpeaks Blog
Kit Pang is a Communication Expert, TEDx Speaker Coach, TEDx, Inbound and Keynote speaker, the host of the BostonSpeaksSeries and the founder of BostonSpeaks. He is on a mission to help individuals become exceptional speakers and communicators. Kit's seminars and talks have been credited as super fun, engaging, soul-searching and insightful. www.bostonspeaks.com | @kitpangx

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Making Personal Connections is Important for Your Career

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In its 2016 The Future of Jobs report, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2020 many adults will be employed in jobs that do not exist today. Changes in technology, emerging markets, shifting demographics, and other disruptions will create a wholly new employment landscape.

# data[].attributes.body
Animal Connections

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When it comes to animals, humans still have a lot to learn. We forget that some animals are also capable of most of the same behaviors that we have - we just don't see them because they might do them differently.

We often forget that animals are capable of feeling the same emotions we do and sharing similar bonds with friends and family. The result of this willful "forgetfulness" is reflected in the way we treat animals. We separate them from family and friends, place them in captivity for our own entertainment, or even condemn them to life on a factory farm until the day they are turned into one of our meals.

A major step towards ending this vicious cycle of forgetfulness is to practice compassion. Animals really are not all that different from us, save the tails, fur, or scales. So, let's for a minute take a look at all the ways that animal families are just like our families.

Here are six amazing animal species with extraordinarily strong family bonds:

1. Elephants

Behn LIEU SONG/Wikimedia Comons

While males live relatively solitary, female elephants live in highly bonded herds. PBS says that in a herd, the matriarch will rule over a multi-generational family with six to 12 members - consisting of her offspring, sisters, and sisters' offspring. Elephants have long been known to rush to the aid of babies caught in strong river waters, or stuck in mud, or staying to mourn the death of a herd member.

Back in 2012, two herds of South African elephants made their way to the house of Lawrence Anthony - the conservationist who saved their lives. They stayed at the house for two days apparently mourning his passing, according to Belief Net. It had taken them 12 hours to reach the house, not having visited in a year and a half.

2. Wolves

Warsocket/Wikimedia Commons

Wolves may have even stronger bonds between the alpha male alpha female dogs. Defenders of Wildlife says that some may even sacrifice their own lives to protect the rest of the pack. It was once thought that wolf packs consisted of unrelated individuals who often fought each other for dominance till L. David Mech researched wild wolves and debunked the idea. He found that the pack consisted of the mated alpha pair, their puppies, and some adult offspring from previous litters.

3. Orcas

Robert Pittman/Wikimedia Commons

Sarah Heimlich provided the first evidence suggesting matrilineal (individuals linked by maternal descent) social organization in killer whales in the 1980s. According to the report "Conservation Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)" prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the members of these groups from extremely strong bonds and individuals rarely separate for longer than a few hours. Even offspring live with their parents for their entire lives.

4. Dolphins

J.D. Ebberly/Wikimedia Commons

Dolphins exhibit strong social bonds and are a species that only exhibit caring behavior towards their own species but also towards others as well - they have saved humans from shark attacks and drowning, and have also helped seals and whales. The first time dolphins were recorded trying to help save another dying dolphin was in 2013 when five individuals formed a raft with their bodies to keep an injured dolphin above the water, with ten others later taking turns to do so, according to the BBC.

5. Lions

David Dennis/Wikimedia Commons

Lions are the most social of all the wild cat species, and live in prides. While males have a harder life once they become older, The Big Cats says that old females even with missing teeth are waited on and shared food with. Nuzzling is not just a cuddly behavior, lionesses lick each other and males rub their heads to strengthen social bonds says the Business Insider.

6. Chimpanzees

USAID Africa Bureau/Wikimedia Commons

Bio Expedition says that there is a strong social structure within chimp troops. The mother-offspring is so strong that, even after they grow up into adults, they will continue to have affection for and care for their mother. Like with lions strengthening social bonds, chimps socially groom each other not only to clean off each other's bodies but to reassure each other as well as to maintain friendships, says the Canisius College Ambassadors for Conservation. The site also says that chimpanzees live in communities with different sub-groups similar to human society, with a male chimp gaining the support of other community members to help him become an alpha male.
Lead image source: John Storr/Wikimedia Commons
Browse through some recent posts below:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Animal Species With Strong Family Bonds - One Green Planet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it comes to animals, humans still have a lot to learn. We forget that some animals are also capable of most of the same behaviors that we have - we just don't see them because they might do them differently.

# data[].attributes.body
What is a connection

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
con·​nec·​tion | \ kə-ˈnek-shən \

a : causal or logical relation or sequence the connection between two ideas

b(1) : contextual relation or association In this connection the word has a different meaning.

(2) : relationship in fact wanted in connection with a robbery

c : a relation of personal intimacy (as of family ties) Family connections can make getting a job much easier.

d : coherence, continuity … a confused multitude without order or connection.— John Locke

2 a : something that connects : link a loose connection in the wiring

b : a means of communication or transport a telephone connection

3 : a person connected with another especially by marriage, kinship, or common interest has powerful connections

4 : a political, social, professional, or commercial relationship The school has no connection with the museum. : such as

b : an arrangement to execute orders or advance interests of another a firm's foreign connections

c : a source of contraband (such as illegal drugs)

5 : a set of persons associated together: such as

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
the act of connecting : the state of being connected: such as; causal or logical relation or sequence; contextual relation or association... See the full definition

# data[].attributes.body
What being empathetic can mean for our health and well-being.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Monitoring Editor: Dr. Richard M. Frankel, PhD

Abstract

Empathy plays a critical interpersonal and societal role, enabling sharing of experiences, needs, and desires between individuals and providing an emotional bridge that promotes pro-social behavior. This capacity requires an exquisite interplay of neural networks and enables us to perceive the emotions of others, resonate with them emotionally and cognitively, to take in the perspective of others, and to distinguish between our own and others' emotions. Studies show empathy declines during medical training. Without targeted interventions, uncompassionate care and treatment devoid of empathy, results in patients who are dissatisfied. They are then much less likely to follow through with treatment recommendations, resulting in poorer health outcomes and damaged trust in health providers. Cognitive empathy must play a role when a lack of emotional empathy exists because of racial, ethnic, religious, or physical differences. Healthcare settings are no exception to conscious and unconscious biases, and there is no place for discrimination or unequal care afforded to patients who differ from the majority culture or the majority culture of healthcare providers. Much work lies ahead to make healthcare equitable for givers and receivers of healthcare from all cultures. Self- and other-empathy leads to replenishment and renewal of a vital human capacity. If we are to move in the direction of a more empathic society and a more compassionate world, it is clear that working to enhance our native capacities to empathize is critical to strengthening individual, community, national, and international bonds.

Keywords: empathy, Neuroscience, cognitive empathy, perspective taking, empathic concern

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

Introduction

Empathy plays a critical interpersonal and societal role, enabling sharing of experiences, needs, and desires between individuals and providing an emotional bridge that promotes prosocial behavior. This capacity requires an exquisite interplay of neural networks and enables us to perceive the emotions of others, resonate with them emotionally and cognitively, to take in the perspective of others, and to distinguish between our own and others' emotions.

Studies have shown that empathy declines during medical training ( 1, 2) and without targeted interventions, uncompassionate care and treatment devoid of empathy results in dissatisfied patients who are unlikely to follow through with treatment recommendations, resulting in poorer health outcomes and damaged trust in health provider relationships.

In the past, empathy was considered an inborn trait that could not be taught, but research has shown that this vital human competency is mutable and can be taught to health-care providers. The evidence for patient-rated empathy improvement in physicians has been demonstrated in pilot and retention studies ( 3, 4) and a randomized controlled trial ( 5). Further evidence that communication skills training for physicians improves patient satisfaction scores was reported in a large-scale observational study ( 6). Empathic medical care is associated with many benefits including improved patient experiences, adherence to treatment recommendations, better clinical outcomes, fewer medical errors and malpractice claims, and higher physician retention ( 5).

Why is the human brain designed for this complex, intricate task? If human existence was simply the result of "survival of the fittest," we would be wired solely to dominate others, not to respond to their suffering. Our capacity to perceive and resonate with others' suffering allows us to feel and understand their pain. The personal distress experienced by observing others' pain often motivates us to respond with compassion. The survival of our species depends on mutual aid, and providing it reduces our own distress. Mutual aid exists in the earliest reports of tribal behavior and remains a powerful force in today's world, where thousands of organizations and millions of people work to relieve global suffering ( 7).

The concept of empathy was first introduced by aestheticians in the mid-19th century. They used the German word "Einfühlung" to describe the emotional "knowing" of a work of art from within, by feeling an emotional resonance with the work of art. At the end of the 19th century, the psychologist Theodore Lipps expanded this concept to mean "feeling one's way into the experience of another" by theorizing that inner imitation of the actions of others played a critical role in eliciting empathy. The philosopher Martin Buber added deeper texture to the concept of empathy by describing the empathic relationship as "I and Thou," versus unempathic disrespect, as "I and It" ( 8). In this powerful description, humane respect and concern for the other is contrasted with objectification and dehumanization of another person, which is in evidence too often in today's societies.

Empathy is a Hardwired Capacity

Research in the neurobiolgy of empathy has changed the perception of empathy from a soft skill to a neurobiologically based competency ( 9). The theory of inner imitation of the actions of others in the observer has been supported by brain research. Functional magnetic resonance imaging now demonstrates the existence of a neural relay mechanism that allows empathic individuals to exhibit unconscious mimicry of the postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions of others to a greater degree than individuals who are unempathic ( 10). Patients unconsciously mimic the actions and facial expressions of others through brain mechanisms that mirror the actions of others by stimulating the same motor and sensory areas in the observers' brains as the person they are observing. This mirroring capacity has been demonstrated at the level of single muscle fibers. If a person's hand muscle is pricked by a fine needle, for example, the same motor and sensory areas are activated in the brain of an observer ( 11).

Studies also demonstrate that while patients are either imitating or simply observing emotional facial expressions, activation of a similar network of brain areas occurs in the observer. Within this network, there is activity during simple observation of emotional faces, and greater activity during imitation of emotions ( 12). In addition to inner representations of others' facial displays, shared neural circuits have also been demonstrated for tone of voice, touch, disgust, and pain. Researchers conclude from these studies that observers feel what others feel to an attenuated degree. This is achieved through a mechanism of neural action representation that often modulates observers' own emotional content and motivates empathic responses. Differences in these neural processes may account for different individual capacities for empathy ( 13).

A novel study showed that the expression, "I feel your pain," is much more than just a figure of speech. Sixteen female volunteers had brain scans performed while they received painful electric shocks to their hands. While they received the shock, a well-defined "pain matrix" was activated in their brains. Afterward, they received a signal that their spouses were receiving similar shocks. This activated a similar (but not entire) pain matrix in the females' brains.

This is the first neuroimaging study to demonstrate that we actually do feel the pain of others, but only in an attenuated form ( 10). Attenuation makes it possible to empathize but not become overwhelmed with another's personal distress. Our own distress would likely render us less helpful. Indeed, there is a balance between empathy leading to helping or distancing behaviors due to personal distress. An important balance must be struck by ensuring that health-care providers receive enough care, support, and empathy from their institutions in order to provide high-quality empathic care and to benefit from the positive side effects of empathy ( 14).

Empathy, Medicine, and Society

A cardinal feature of empathy is that it usually helps connect people to others. Because of the evolutionary development of this brain-based capacity, affective empathy, or emotional sharing, most easily occurs among members of the same "tribe". Individuals tend to have the most empathy for others who look or act like them, for others who have suffered in a similar way, or for those who share a common goal. We see these biases play out repeatedly in communities, schools, sports teams, and religious communities. The truth of the matter is that empathy is not always an equal opportunity benefactor ( 15). People are evolutionarily wired to recognize and respond to differences and socially or culturally based perceptions can trigger subconscious fears that threaten emotional homeostasis.

All perceptions in our environment are routed through the thalamus. From there, the amygdala, the threat sensor in the brain, reacts to threats, unfamiliar stimuli, conditioned fears, and perceived threats in as few as 50 milliseconds long before conscious thoughts come into play. When these threat signals reach the midbrain, (specifically in the area of the pons) automatic reactions such as the fight, flight or freeze response take place unless there is cognitive input from executive functions in the prefrontal cortex.

Because of this evolutionary bias, cognitive empathy must play a role when a lack of emotional empathy exists because of racial, ethnic, religious, or physical differences. Health-care settings are no exception to conscious and unconscious biases, and there is no place for discrimination or unequal care afforded to patients who differ from the majority culture or the majority culture of health-care providers. Much work lies ahead to make health care equitable for givers and receivers of health care from all cultures. A health-care system that does not value its workforce and offer equal rights and protections for all, risks attrition, systemic distress, burnout, loss of trust in the health-care system and tarnished institutional reputations. Such attitudes and consequences affect employees, professional staff and ultimately patients, and the extended community.

Important research on empathy and altruism has demonstrated that enhancing perspective taking, the capacity to see a person's situation from his or her point of view, coupled with enhanced value being placed on the welfare of those who are unfamiliar can override bias. For example, Batson and colleagues found that empathic concern is not necessarily elicited by perceived similarity to others or by affective sharing but can also be elicited by valuing the welfare of people who appear dissimilar ( 16).

In an interesting study, Batson explored the relationship of perspective-taking to valuing a person who is in need. Perspective taking is a well-known precursor to empathic concern. In the first experiment, both perspective taking and valuing were variables and each increased empathic concern independently. In second experiment, valuing the person in need was the only independent variable. Interestingly, increases in valuing the other person increased perspective taking and also increased empathic concern which, in turn, increased helping. We can conclude from these experiments that valuing a person in need is an important, and largely overlooked, variable and precursor of feeling empathy for that person ( 16).

Empathy is a factor that draws individuals to helping professions and plays a critical role in understanding the nuances of others' experiences. Empathy is a complex capability enabling individuals to understand and feel the emotional states of others, resulting in compassionate behavior. Empathy requires cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and moral capacities to understand and respond to the suffering of others. Compassion is a tender response to the perception of another's suffering. Compassion cannot exist without empathy, as they are part of the same perception and response continuum that moves human beings from observation to action.

Self-empathy is a much neglected area and is necessary to ensure that health-care workers have the necessary resources to remain empathic toward others. Human beings have intricate, shared neural circuits in motor, sensory, and emotional (limbic) areas of the brain to help them understand the experience of others, leading to helping behaviors. However, when emotionally overloaded, overwhelmed, exploited, or burned out, the capacity for empathy declines as a result of the degree of emotional labor expended. It is critical that as medical professionals and caregivers that we exercise self-care to maintain healthy levels of empathy.

Plato's ancient question, "Can virtue be taught?" is one to consider at our present day juncture in health care. When newly minted doctors take the Hippocratic Oath on graduation day, they swear to provide ethical and compassionate care for their patients. What can be done to ensure they will keep their promise? Understanding that self-empathy is necessary in order to provide empathic care to others is at the core of wellness programs that are growing in popularity in medical education. Enterprise wide faculty development programs that include empathy training need to become an institutional priority to preserve and refresh the vitality of our health-care system.

Self-empathy and other empathy lead to replenishment and renewal of a vital human capacity. If we are to move in the direction of a more empathic society and a more compassionate world, it is clear that working to enhance our native capacities to empathize is critical to strengthening individual, community, national, and international bonds. As the Dali Lama so succinctly stated, "Love and compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" ( 17). Let us be the examples in health care that the world may follow.

Author Biography

Helen Riess is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is a co-founder and chief scientist of Empathetics.com.

Footnotes

Author's Note: Portions of this article first appeared in Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility."

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

References

1. Nunes P, Williams S, Stevenson K. A study of empathy decline in students from five health disciplines during their first year of training. Int J Med Educ. 2011;2:12-7. [ Google Scholar]

4. Phillips M, Lorie A, Kelley J, Gray S, Riess H. Long-term effects of empathy training in surgery residents: a one year follow-up study. Eur J Person Centered Healthc. 2013;1:326-32. [ Google Scholar]

5. Riess H, Kelley JM, Bailey RW, Dunn EJ, Phillips M. Empathy training for resident physicians: a randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum. J Gen Intern Med. 2012;27:1280-86. [[ PubMed] PMC free article] [ Google Scholar]

6. Boissy A, Windover AK, Bokar D, Karafa M, Neuendorf K, Frankel RM, et al. Communication skills training for physicians improves patient satisfaction. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31:755-61. [[ PubMed] PMC free article] [ Google Scholar]

7. Harris J. The evolutionary neurobiology, emergence and facilitation of empathy In: Farrow TFD, Woodruff PWR, eds. Empathy in Mental Illness. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2007:506. [ Google Scholar]

8. Buber M. I and Thou. New York, NY: Touchstone of Simon & Schuster; 1996. [ Google Scholar]

10. Carr L, Iacoboni M, Dubeau M, Mazziotta JC, Lenzi GL. Neural mechanisms of empathy in humans: a relay from neural systems for imitation to limbic areas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100:5497-502. [[ PubMed] PMC free article] [ Google Scholar]

14. Riess H. The impact of clinical empathy on patients and clinicians: understanding empathy's side effects. Am J Bioethics Neurosci. 2015;6:49-51. [ Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Patient Experience are provided here courtesy of SAGE Publications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy plays a critical interpersonal and societal role, enabling sharing of experiences, needs, and desires between individuals and providing an emotional bridge that promotes pro-social behavior. This capacity requires an exquisite interplay of neural ...

# data[].attributes.body
Does it really matter?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Empathy has become a buzzword these days. You hear it being used in classrooms, hospitals, and even corporate boardrooms. When the president talks of empathy in his address to the nation-as he has on several occasions-you know the word has reached some kind of cultural zeitgeist

But what is empathy, really? And why should we care about it or try to enhance it?

In his new book, Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get It, philosopher Roman Krznaric explains what empathy is and what it isn't, and gives a powerful argument for the importance of cultivating empathy in ourselves. Though empathy may have "a reputation as a fuzzy, feel good emotion," he writes, it "is, in fact, an ideal that has the power both to transform our lives and to bring about fundamental social change."

Science has shown us that we are wired for empathy-that we literally have brain circuits devoted to trying to understand how another person is feeling and to "feel with" them. But those circuits don't always come online without some kind of prodding. And they can also go offline under certain circumstances, such as when we are stressed or rushed.

Krznaric identifies four common political and social barriers to empathy: prejudice, authority, distance, and denial. Seeing others through the lens of prejudice will make it easier to deny our shared humanity and harder to empathize. If someone in authority encourages you to discount a group of people-i.e. calling immigrants "illegal" for political purposes -it's harder to develop empathy for those people. Proximity-both geographically and experientially-makes it easier to empathize, while distance from the suffering of others can breed indifference. That's perhaps why the Internet can swing both ways-sometimes decreasing empathy by distancing us physically from others (which can lead to superficial friendships or, worse, bullying), and sometimes increasing empathy by bringing us into contact with those who would otherwise be unreachable, such as victims of distant wars.

To overcome these barriers, Krznaric suggests that we consciously try to humanize other people in our minds, even those who are our enemies. Taking time to understand those who are different than us can broaden our worldview and help cultivate empathy. And, though the Golden Rule-do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you-may have its virtues, Krznaric argues that its precept has limited utility when it comes to intergroup contact.

"While it [the Golden Rule] may work admirably well when our emotional lives and experiences coincide with other people's-especially through a recognition of shared suffering-what happens when others' experiences, culture and world views are very different form our own? Here the Golden Rule in not enough," he writes. Instead, he argues, we should practice the "Platinum Rule": Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them.

Much of the book is devoted to outlining ways to increase one's empathy through the habits of highly empathic people. Krznaric suggests immersing oneself in another culture through travel, or experimenting with living with less money or food as a path to appreciating what life is like from someone else's vantage point. Joining a choir or another group activity, where people from different walks of life come together to work on a shared, cooperative task, is another good way to build empathy. These kinds of intense exposures to difference can help decrease prejudice-one of the blocks to empathy.

He also suggests initiating conversations with people who don't necessarily share your interests and viewpoints-people from different political groups or religious persuasions, for example-and trying to engage strangers on the street. Even using more probing, thought-provoking questions in everyday conversations can deepen engagement and build empathy for others. And, when face-to-face interactions aren't possible, books, photographs, movies, and other art forms that help you imagine the interior lives of other people are good alternatives. Whenever we can challenge our preconceived notions about others, we are helping to build empathy muscles, says Krznaric.

"Proving ourselves wrong is one of the fastest forms of empathic education," he writes.

While many of his suggestions are innovative-I particularly liked the suggestion of a virtual empathy library where people can get recommendations for books that inspire empathy-most are not scientifically proven to be effective...or, if they have been, he doesn't mention the science. In fact, the suggestions are often presented as insights from his personal experience or as de facto good for us-a perplexing stance for someone promoting the value of embracing different viewpoints.

Meanwhile, he occasionally critiques the work of scientists who've studied empathy and compassion-for example, questioning the benefits of self-compassion promoted by Kristin Neff-or downplays the pitfalls people may face when trying to build empathy for others. In one case, he writes, "Empathy overarousal is a serious problem, but we should remember that it affects only a minority of people," as if it were not an important factor to consider.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the book-as much for its inspirational stories of super-empathizers, as for its creative ideas on increasing empathy in everyday life. We would all do well to expand our circle of empathy and to build upon our sense of common humanity in order to take action to improve society. Just think of what members of Congress could do if they only knew how to reach out across their empathy divide! Perhaps if we (and they) followed just some of Krznaric's suggestions we'd all be on the path to a more peaceful co-existence.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy has become a buzzword these days. You hear it being used in classrooms, hospitals, and even corporate boardrooms. When the president talks of empathy in his address to the nation-as he has on several occasions-you know the word has reached some kind of cultural zeitgeist But what is empathy, really?

# data[].attributes.body
Feel like you could use more of it?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Brian McGrory, Editor-in-Chief of The Boston Globe, gave a talk at HubSpot's Cambridge office this summer, he told us a story about a crucial leadership lesson he learned during his early days as head editor.

At night, Brian would answer emails before bed, and it became a daily routine for a few years. He enjoyed his nightly ritual. But when he pictured a young reporter seeing one of his emails at 11 PM, it irked him.

Brian didn't expect his colleagues to reply until the next day. But he realized that once he sent the emails, his reporters would think, "oh crap, my Editor-in-chief just replied to my email!" Then, they'd stop whatever they were doing and spend a ton of time and effort crafting the perfect response.

From then on, Brian quit answering his emails at night. He knew it would disrupt his employees' evenings and could even ruin a good night's sleep. Unwinding from work is pivotal to avoid burnout. And if Brian wasn't empathetic about his late-night emails, his employees might've started to dread their jobs.

Empathy is a vital leadership skill. Not only does it allow you to experience your employees' feelings about their role and your company, but it also enables you to perceive your brand from a customer's perspective.

If you're an empathetic leader, you can infuse more purpose into your employees' work and refine your company's culture. You can also market and sell the way your prospects buy and create products that actually fulfill their needs.

Leaders make critical business decisions every day, and any lack of empathy on their part can produce unhappy employees, self-serving marketing and sales processes, and inferior products.

Luckily, if you're a leader, you can teach yourself how to develop more empathy. Check out our curated list of Goodreads ' top ranked books about empathy, and add your favorites to your reading list.

7 Books That'll Help You Develop More Empathy

1) Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Empathy

2) The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

3) Well-Designed: How to Use How to Use Empathy to Create Products People

4) Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy

5) The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life's Most Essential Skill

6) Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It

Goodreads Rating: 4.11/5.0

"Mindsight" is the integration of brain science and psychotherapy. And if you master it, you can boost your self-awareness to unprecedented levels.

In his engaging book, Dr. Daniel Siegel uses interactive examples and case studies from his clinical practice to teach you how to observe the inner-workings of your mind, allowing you to understand why we think, feel, and act the way we do, and how you can literally rewire your brain. Self-awareness is crucial for developing empathy -- once you understand yourself, you can understand others.

Amazon Editorial Review: "'Mindsight' is a literary MRI: a mind-blowing book that will change the way you think about the way you think." -- Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post

Goodreads Rating: 3.96/5.0

As an economics major, the theories I learn are based on the assumption that humans are inherently selfish. And if you examine the great recession and other financial scandals, this assumption seems pretty legitimate. Vicious greed motivated these senseless acts. But was this selfishness innate? According to psychology professor Frans De Waal, it wasn't. By examining social behaviors in animals, his book delves into empathy being a natural instinct for many animals (including humans), empathy's survival value in evolution, and how adopting this optimistic and accurate view of human nature could vastly improve society. In other words, we're wired to feel for each other.

Amazon Editorial Review: "The lessons of the economic meltdown, Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters may not be what you think: Biologically, humans are not selfish animals. For that matter, neither are animals, writes the engaging Frans de Waal, a psychology professor with proof positive that, like other creatures who hang out in herds, we've evolved to be empathetic. We don't just hear a scream, it chills us to the bone; when we see a smile, we answer with one of our own. The Age of Empathy offers advice to cutthroat so-called realists: Listen to your inner ape." -- O, The Oprah Magazine

Goodreads Rating: 3.95/5.0

In the age of extreme consumerism, we obsess over whatever's new. Product teams can start prioritizing bells and whistles over actual consumer needs, which hurts and underwhelms customers. So how do we reorient and develop products that solely focus on the customer? We need to understand the emotional connection between the customer and product.

In his insightful book, product designer Jon Kolko shows you how to leverage a deep understanding of consumer needs and feelings to repeatedly build successful, emotional resonant products. He walks you through a four-step process that leading companies use to design products that evoke positive emotions, change behavior, and create deep engagement. Whether you're a designer, product developer, or marketer, this book will revolutionize the way you analyze and develop your products.

"Great companies are made through great products, and increasingly, great products are made through design. Kolko demonstrates that product managers must learn to think like designers; they need to embrace intuition, emotion, and most importantly, empathy. This insightful book is a must-read." -- John Maeda, design partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; author, The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership

Goodreads Rating: 3.85/5.0

Top business strategist Dev Patnaik knows people are wired to care. And he knows many of the world's top companies are too. In his thought-provoking book, Patnaik places readers inside huge organizations like IBM, Target, and Intel to witness the power of empathy in business. As he covers how organizations excel when they channel empathy and the emotion's economic and personal benefits, he unveils the unlimited potential our society could reach if business leaders saw the world through each other's eyes and cared more about others.

Amazon Editorial Review: " Wired to Care will convince you that businesses succeed with their hearts as much as their heads. Dev Patnaik has given us just what we need for the lean years ahead." -- Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, Blink, and The Tipping Point

Goodreads Rating: 3.79/5.0

Backed by findings in neuroscience, social psychology, and healing traditions, The Art of Empathy suggests empathy not only forges human connection, but it also helps us shine in every other area of our life. Karla McLaren's captivating book will teach you how to genuinely perceive and feel other people's experiences and drastically improve your social and emotional life.

Amazon Editorial Review: "Karla McLaren illuminates the rich, textured landscape of emotional intelligence. And in 'The Art of Empathy', Karla wisely explores the most important of all human feelings: empathy, the glue of all positive human relationships." -- Peter A. Levine, PhD, Author of Healing Trauma, and Freedom from Pain

Goodreads Rating: 3.77/5.0

By meeting and interviewing actors, activists, designers, nurses, bankers, and neuroscientists, Roman Krzanric uncovered the six life-altering habits of highly empathic people. His lessons will teach you how to meaningfully connect with others, which will fulfil yourself and the world around you.

Amazon Editorial Review: "I thoroughly enjoyed the book -- as much for its inspirational stories of super-empathizers, as for its creative ideas on increasing empathy in everyday life. We would all do well to expand our circle of empathy and to build upon our sense of common humanity in order to take action to improve society." -- Jill Suttie, Psy.D., Greater Good

7) Empathy - Harvard Business Review (2017)

Goodreads Rating: 3.82/5.0

To help people learn about the human side of professional life, Harvard Business Review curated over 10 original articles about empathy and turned it into a book (way to repurpose!). Empathy is part of a four-book collection that teaches readers how to improve their emotional well-being at work. After reading it, you'll understand what empathy is, why it's important, how to handle the obstacles that make you less empathetic, and how to identify when you or a colleague offers too much empathy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Books That Will Help You Develop More Empathy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When Brian McGrory, Editor-in-Chief of The Boston Globe, gave a talk at HubSpot's Cambridge office this summer, he told us a story about a crucial leadership lesson he learned during his early days as head editor. At night, Brian would answer emails before bed, and it became a daily routine for a few years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The limits of empathy | The Psychologist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy is a key component in our relationships, and in many situations, it does motivate people to help others in need. However, this is not always the case. Recent psychological studies suggest that empathy is not quite the societal cure-all we often believe it to be.

# data[].attributes.body
Is a lack of empathy a bad thing?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Empathy: Definition

Your friend Mary is just standing there, tears running down her face. She looks like her whole world has collapsed. She's hoping that you will make her feel better. But you just don't get it. You're feeling like, ''Who cares? Get over it!'' You're missing that normal human quality called empathy.

Empathy, derived from the Greek word empatheia, which means ''passion or state of emotion'', is the ability to feel what others are feeling. It is an important part of human interaction that is unfortunately lacking in some people. When that lack is extreme, severe problems can be the result.

Psychopathy & Disorders

There are many disorders related to a lack of empathy. They can be the result of genetics (or the characteristics you inherited from your parents), environment (especially in early childhood), disease, or physical or psychological damage and trauma related to an event.

Two psychological terms particularly associated with a lack of empathy are sociopathy and psychopathy. Psychopathy, which comes from the Greek roots psykhe, which refers to the mind, and pathos, which means suffering, has shifted in popular meaning over the years, but it has always been associated with mind sickness.

Think about what that means. Mind sickness. Damage to your ability to think, feel, imagine, maintain your sense of proportion, control your emotions, and understand reality. Imagine what it would be like to have one part of your mind either not working at all, or working against you, affecting your ability to think, feel, and understand.

Mind sickness can take many forms. For example, a breakdown in your understanding of reality can produce the following effects:

Paranoia: a constant unfounded sense of anxiety and fear

Schizophrenia: fragmented mental processes

Hallucinations: seeing or otherwise experiencing non-existent things, or

Delusions: believing things unsupported by experiences to be true

Any breakdown in one or more of your mind's workings can create enormous difficulties, but what happens if the part of your mind that is damaged is your ability to feel or understand others' emotions? The empathy that you were supposed to have is diminished or gone. People become little more than shadowy figures to you, acting in strange ways within your world. It's like watching a musical program with the sound off. Without the words and music, the performers can look ridiculous or even frightening.

But there's more. Your lack of empathy may extend to yourself, as well. You are dead to your own feelings. Nothing moves you. In an emotional sense, you are a person on a desert island, desperate for a drink of water. You want something to happen that will make you feel alive.

So how do you behave when you feel like that? How do you act? When you see people as distant figures that don't relate to you, when you have no attachments or feelings for them, and when you're desperate for stimulation or comfort, then there are few, if any, barriers to what you're willing to do.

Sociopathy

So let's now move on to sociopathy (coined from the Latin word socius, which means companion or ally, and the Greek root pathos, or suffering). It essentially means an illness related to your ability to associate with other people. The term has varied in popular meaning, but the essence is always the same. The sociopath has a damaged ability to deal with others.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
signs & causes - video & lesson transcript | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lack of Empathy: Disorders, Signs & Causes - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your friend Mary is just standing there, tears running down her face. She looks like her whole world has collapsed. She's hoping that you will make her feel better. But you just don't get it. You're feeling like, ''Who cares? Get over it!'' You're missing that normal human quality called empathy.

# data[].attributes.body
What is empathy?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Did you know?

Sympathy and empathy both refer to a caring response to the emotional state of another person, but a distinction between them is typically made: while sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful, empathy involves actively sharing in the emotional experience of the other person.

Sympathy has been in use since the 16th century, and its greater age is reflected in its wider breadth of meanings, including "a feeling of loyalty" and "unity or harmony in action or effect." It comes ultimately from the Greek sympathēs, meaning "having common feelings, sympathetic," which was formed from syn- ("with, together with") and páthos, "experience, misfortune, emotion, condition." Empathy was modeled on sympathy; it was coined in the early 20th century as a translation of the German Einfühlung ("feeling-in" or "feeling into"). First applied in contexts of philosophy, aesthetics, and psychology, empathy continues to have technical use in those fields that sympathy does not.

Did you know?

Compassion and empathy both refer to a caring response to someone else's distress. While empathy refers to an active sharing in the emotional experience of the other person, compassion adds to that emotional experience a desire to alleviate the person's distress.

... the story of Nellie Bly, the first female investigative reporter, who not only demanded justice from powerful institutions, but also insisted on dignity and compassion for the most vulnerable citizens. - The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2022

Blonde clearly wants us to feel for Norma Jeane, but it dwells on her pain so obsessively ... that the movie's empathy feels like another form of exploitation. - Justin Chang, NPR, 23 Sept. 2022

The distinction between compassion and empathy is frequently a topic of exploration.

By empathy I mean feeling the feelings of other people. So if you're in pain and I feel your pain-I am feeling empathy toward you. If you're being anxious, I pick up your anxiety. If you're sad and I pick up your sadness, I'm being empathetic. And that's different from compassion. Compassion means I give your concern weight, I value it. I care about you, but I don't necessarily pick up your feelings. ... [I]f I feel compassion for you, I'll be invigorated. I'll be happy and I'll try to make your life better. - Paul Bloom, quoted in Vox, 16 Jan. 2019

Compassion is a much older word; it's been part of the language since the 14th century, and comes ultimately from Latin com- and pati, meaning "to bear, suffer." Empathy is a 20th century coinage modeled on sympathy as a translation of the German Einfühlung ("feeling-in" or "feeling into"). It was first applied in contexts of philosophy, aesthetics, and psychology and continues to have technical use in those fields.

Example Sentences

He felt great His months spent researching prison life gave him greater empathy with the poor. empathy towards convicts.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'empathy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Greek empatheia, literally, passion, from empathēs emotional, from em- + pathos feelings, emotion - more at pathos

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 2

The first known use of empathy was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near empathy

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on empathy

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search-ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Challenging Words You Should Know

Often used to describe "the march of time," what does inexorable mean?

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit... See the full definition

# data[].attributes.body
Are born with it or is it something we need to learn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Empathy. It's the bedrock of intimacy and close connection; in its absence, relationships remain emotionally shallow, defined largely by mutual interests or shared activities.

Without empathy, we could live and work side-by-side with other people, and remain as clueless about their inner selves and feelings as we are about those of strangers on a crowded subway car. Empathy isn't just the engine for closeness and prosocial behavior; it also puts on the brakes when we are behaving badly and become aware of the pain we're causing. Those of us who've had the misfortune of being intimate with someone high in narcissistic traits, combined with impaired empathy, know the devastation that can ensue. When there are no brakes and an excess of self-interest, you end up with scorched earth.

Yet for all the emphasis and value our culture places on empathy-especially as an antidote to bullying and other anti-social behavior-there's real confusion about what it is and isn't. Here's what science knows about empathy:
1. Empathy and sympathy aren't synonyms.
People often use the words interchangeably, but they are, in fact, separate processes. When you feel sympathy for someone, you identify with the situation that the person finds him or herself in. This can be a perfectly genuine feeling; you can feel sympathy for people you've never met and for a plight you've personally never experienced, as well as for people you know and scenarios that are familiar to you.

But feeling sympathy doesn't necessarily connect you to the person or what he or she is feeling. You can be sympathetic to someone's situation while being completely clueless about his feelings and thoughts. Sympathy rarely compels you into action except, perhaps, writing a check when you see heartrending photos of abused dogs set to weepy music on television commercials. Sympathy doesn't build connection.

The emotional process called empathy is something else; it involves identifying with what someone is feeling and, additionally, actually feeling those feelings yourself. This isn't a metaphor like walking a mile in someone else's shoes, but more literal than not, as neuroscience has shown. Sympathy is feeling for someone; empathy involves feeling with them.
2. Empathy isn't about intuition.
Research shows that most people think of empathy as intuitive, more of a gut reaction than a function of reasoning, somehow connected to feeling or associated with the popular term " mindfulness."

Psychologists Jean Decety and Claus Lamm suggest that empathy consists not just of emotion sharing (a largely unconscious process), but executive control to regulate and modulate the experience. Both are supported by specific and interacting neural systems. Research shows that mimicry is part of human interaction, and it happens on an unconscious level; we mimic the facial expressions of those we interact with, along with their vocalizations, postures, and movements. Talk to a frowning person and you'll probably end up with a frown on your face too. This unconscious mimicry probably helped early humans communicate and feel kinship; it's the component that precedes empathy. Neuroscience also confirms that seeing someone in pain activates the parts of your brain that register pain.

Being able to take on the perspective of someone else-a cognitive function-is also part of empathy; it's thought that children begin to see how others see them around the age of four and, in turn, they are able to see others by shifting perspective. Finally, the ability to regulate and modulate emotion is part of empathy. Since science knows that moods can be "contagious," the ability to self-regulate stops us from going down for the count when we empathize with someone who's suffering. Clearly being thrust into the depths of emotional turmoil yourself would be a deterrent to empathizing with anyone.

An interesting series of experiments at Harvard didn't just look at the belief that empathy is intuitive; they also compared empathic accuracy when intuitive and systematic ways of thinking were employed. The participants in these studies were largely seasoned, high-level business professionals. In the first study, they asked participants whether, if they were specifically hiring for people good at assessing other people's emotional and mental states, they would coach employees in an intuitive and instinctive way, or if they'd use systematic and analytical thinking. Three-quarters chose intuitive coaching! But three following studies showed that individuals who used systematic thinking were better able to read other people-whether in a dyadic interview, interpreting expression and emotion in a photograph, or other situations.
3. Empathy engages specific neural circuitry in the brain.
Experiments in neuroscience, using MRI imaging, provide physical evidence that bolsters the theoretical understanding of empathy by pinpointing the parts of the brain involved. That's what research by Boris C. Bernhardt and Tania Singer showed in an extensive review of the scientific literature, including their own work. Mimicry and mirroring-key parts of the theoretical understanding of empathy-actually take place in specific areas of the brain as well.
4. Empathy is learned behavior even though the capacity for it is inborn.
The best way to think about empathy is an innate capacity that needs to be developed, and to see it as a detail in a larger picture. Infants learn to identify and regulate their emotions through successful dyadic interactions with their caretakers, primarily their mothers. An attuned mother who's receptive to her child's needs and cues is one who permits her baby to thrive and develop emotionally. By having his or her emotional states recognized and responded to, the groundwork is laid not just for the child's sense of self but sense of other. In time, that seed grows into empathy and the capacity for intimate connection. (This is called secure attachment.)

Children who don't experience this kind of dyadic interaction have a diminished sense of self, difficulties managing and regulating emotions, and sometimes an impaired capacity for empathy. The avoidantly attached individual isn't comfortable in intimate settings, and has trouble recognizing his or her own emotions, as well as those of others. The anxiously attached adult may lack the ability to moderate emotions and may end up being swept up in someone else's emotions. That isn't empathy.
5. The capacity for empathy varies from one person to the next.
Not surprisingly, the extent of your own emotional intelligence-your ability to know what you're feeling, to accurately label and name different emotions with precision, and to use your emotions to inform your thinking-will make it easier or harder for you to be empathic. The more connected you are to your own emotions, the greater your ability to feel for others. Again, once you realize that empathy has a cognitive component, this makes perfect sense. It should come as no surprise that research shows adolescents who consider friendships and social connections important and are "embedded" in their social networks are more likely to display empathy than those who don't and consider themselves outsiders. And for all the press focused on the exclusionary chivvying of mean girls, it turns out that girls value social networks and friends more than boys.
6. Empathy might be dyadic and not just about the individual.
That's the contrarian point of view put forth by anthropologists who underscore that psychology's way of looking at empathy-as an individual's trait-has its limitations. A study by Simone Roerig and others emphasized that anthropologists view empathy as depending on "what others are willing or able to tell about themselves." By seeing the dynamic as dyadic, the point is made that the character of the person who's the target of empathy is as important as the empathizer. Additionally, they stress that cultural and social norms also act as moderators of empathy. In a study of Dutch school children, they found that kids were more empathetic when reminded by a teacher to "be a good classmate," but that empathy declined when it came to choosing sides for a game. Friends who were chosen last and were upset about it were comforted; mere classmates who felt this way were labeled "crybabies." Social convention and contexts play a role in how empathic a person is in a given situation, regardless of the individual capacity for empathy.
Visit me on Facebook. Copyright ©2017 by Peg Streep

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy. It's the bedrock of intimacy and close connection; in its absence, relationships remain emotionally shallow, defined largely by mutual interests or shared activities. Without empathy, we could live and work side-by-side with other people, and remain as clueless about their inner selves and feelings as we are about those of strangers on a crowded subway car.

# data[].attributes.body
Can you care too much?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Can too much empathy be bad for me?" "Could empathy make me overly sensitive?"

These are common questions I hear in my emotional intelligence and coaching skills classes. If you embody the emotions you pick up from someone, the answer could be yes. If you instead, notice and release the emotions in your body so you can hold the space for the person to safely express him or herself, the answer is no.

If you want people to feel comfortable and be open with you-the purpose of empathy-you need to let your reactions fade away. You create a safe space between you by caring and feeling curious so you can identify and understand what they feel, not mirror it back to them.

Empathy as Social Sensitivity

Even at work, most people long for you to listen with compassion, the cornerstone of empathy. ¹ They want you to sense their discomfort or distress especially when they struggle articulating how they feel.

Humans desire to be seen and understood beyond their words. Empathy demonstrates you care.

You can experience empathy by noticing a person's body language and voice, but acute sensitivity includes being open to the emotional energy vibrating between you. ² You might feel this energy in your heart or gut. You sense not only what people feel but also what they need. You can tell when they need attention, acknowledgment, or an offer of help. You grasp when they want you to back off and give them space or when they want you to quietly stand by. You know when they are impatient to move on or if they want to take more time.

Empathetic Reactivity - When too much empathy is bad

With empathy, you will feel their stress, anxiety, and anger in your body. You might feel their pain emotionally and physically. If you let these emotions sit in your body, your body and mind can be emotionally hijacked.

Unbridled empathy can lead to concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol, making it difficult to release the emotions. ³ Taking on other people's feelings so that you live their experience can make you susceptible to feelings of depression or hopelessness.

Not only will this lead to burnout, you can break the bond of trust you were hoping to strengthen. When you embody other people's emotions, you may feel responsible for relieving their pain. You feel the need to fix their problems and make them feel better.

Unless people want your help, your intrusive reaction will push them away no matter the value of your intention. They might feel less understood. They feel disrespected, undermined, or enfeebled when you interrupt to render aid. The response you believe is "being supportive" could damage their sense of safety and trust. They no longer feel they can fully express themselves with you.

How to foster non-reactive empathy

Having open, nonjudgmental awareness, "... is the capacity to remain receptive to whatever might pass into your thoughts, view, hearing or feeling and to do so in a non-critical way." ⁴ You notice when emotions begin to arise in your body. You might name the emotion and offer what you sense to the person to help him or her better understand the experience. Then you relax your body and let the emotion subside.

Non-reactive empathy is especially useful when you feel the urge to jump in and fix people, helping them see what they should feel and do instead. This urge might arise from empathy, or you could be judging the person's beliefs.

I was coaching a man in China in front of a big audience. He wanted to explore what to do when he retired. When he talked, I could sense his heart-felt desire to help others grow. I asked him what he loved about his job being the Director of HR for a large company. He told me he loved developing people and have them realize their potential. Most of all, he was proud to be instilling the Communist principles. I felt my entire body shudder. My democratic values curdled in my bones. But it wasn't my place to judge him or change him. I noticed my reaction and let it go so I could be fully present with this wonderful man who didn't want to quit helping people when he retired.
We accept, appreciate, and encourage expression in others by observing our reactions and letting them go.
You can foster this open, non-judgmental awareness with the following exercise. As soon as you notice that you are emotionally reacting:

Relax - breath and release the tension in your body.

Detach - clear your mind of all thoughts.

Center - drop your awareness to the center of your body just below your navel. Feel yourself breathe. This helps to clear the mind.

Focus - choose one or two keywords that represent how you want to feel. Feeling curiosity and compassion foster non-reactive empathy.

When your own emotions distract you, breathe and recall your keywords to maintain trust and connection. Allowing others the safe expression of emotions could help them diffuse their feelings and see a possible path forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright Dr. Marcia Reynolds, April 15, 2017

Dr. Reynolds is a behavioral researcher, executive coach, and expert in reflective intelligence and emotional engagement. She is the author of The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs.

More information about Dr. Reynolds can be found on her website.

Follow Marcia on LinkedIn and Facebook.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Can too much empathy be bad for me?" "Could empathy make me overly sensitive?" These are common questions I hear in my emotional intelligence and coaching skills classes. If you embody the emotions you pick up from someone, the answer could be yes.

# data[].attributes.body
Are animals capable of it?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do animals feel empathy? Does an elephant have consciousness? Can a dog plan ahead? These are some of the questions that award-winning environmental writer Carl Safina teases out in his new book, Beyond Words: How Animals Think and Feel.

Ranging far and wide across the world, from the Ambroseli National Park in Kenya to the Pacific Northwest, he shows us why it is important to acknowledge consciousness in animals and how exciting new discoveries about the brain are breaking down barriers between us and other non-human animals.

Speaking from Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York, where he is a visiting professor in the school of journalism, he explains how elephants routinely display empathy; why U.S. Navy underwater tests in the Pacific Northwest should be stopped; and how his own pet dogs prove his theories.
Your book suggests that animals have thought processes, emotions, and social connections that are as important to them as they are to us. Why is it important to know this?
It's important to know who we are here on Earth with. We talk about conservation of animals by numbers, but those are just numbers. Watching animals my whole life I've always been struck by how similar to us they are. I've always been touched by their bonds and been impressed-occasionally frightened-by their emotions.

Life is very vivid to animals. In many cases they know who they are. They know who their friends are and who their rivals are. They have ambitions for higher status. They compete. Their lives follow the arc of a career, like ours do. We both try to stay alive, get food and shelter, and raise some young for the next generation. Animals are no different from us in that regard and I think that their presence here on Earth is tremendously enriching.
You state that consciousness is not merely a human experience and cite the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness drafted in 2012. Tell us about this new interpretation and how it relates to our fellow creatures.
The issue over consciousness, like many aspects of animal behavior, is confused by a lack of definitions people agree on. We tend to use the word consciousness to mean a variety of different things. Some people say if you can plan years ahead it shows consciousness, but that just shows planning.
So why are many scientists adverse to the idea that animals have consciousness?
If you're having a mental experience, you are conscious. The question really is, do other species have mental experiences or do they sense things without having any sensation of what they are experiencing? Like a motion sensor senses motion but it probably doesn't experience that it senses motion. Animals do-they react to movement: fight or flight or curiosity.

It is incredible to me there is still a debate over whether animals are conscious and even a debate over whether human beings can know animals are conscious. If you watch mammals or even birds, you will see how they respond to the world. They play. They act frightened when there's danger. They relax when things are good. It seems illogical for us to think that animals might not be having a conscious mental experience of play, sleep, fear or love.

In the beginning there was almost no neurology, nothing was known of how mental processes worked. Animal behavior was based on fables, like foxes are clever, tortoises are persistent. So scientists said, "All we can know about animals is based on what they do. We can only describe what they do. We can't know anything about their minds." Unfortunately, that hardened into a straightjacket assumption that if we can't know anything about their minds, we can't confirm consciousness.

Meanwhile, people have spent decades watching wild animals. People who watch wild animals don't question whether they're conscious or not because we see incredible intricacies of behavior and vast ranges of personalities. I'm talking about vertebrates: mammals like elephants and cats, but also birds.
I love how you reveal the important aspects of play in the animal world and the relationship between adults and children, so similar to our own.
It's very obvious that animals are conscious to those who observe them. They have to be in order to do the things they do and make the choices that they do, and use the judgments that they use. However, in laboratories the dogma persists: don't assume that animals think and have emotions-and many scientists insist that they do not.

With the public, I think it's quite different. Many people simply assume that animals act consciously and base their belief on their own domestic animals or pets. Other people do not want animals to be conscious because it makes it easier for us to do things to animals that would be hard to do if we knew they were unhappy and suffering.

When the public sees wild animals they feel lucky to see elephants, or they might go to Yellowstone and see wild wolves. Researchers spend decades watching these creatures and see individuals. Many researchers have names for the animals and recognize the different personalities. Some are bold; some are shy. Some are more aggressive; some are mellower; some babies are much more assertive.
Empathy is another characteristic that animals and human beings share. Can you tell us more about how empathy is expressed by animals in extraordinary circumstances-both with humans and other animals?
They see that first time mothers aren't as sure about what to do, and experienced mothers are more relaxed and confident. They see that some wolves are very assertive and aggressive and other wolves forbear. If there is a fight, some wolves will kill other wolves, but other wolves won't, even when they beat them in a fight.

What you see when you actually get to know wild animals is very different from a casual sighting. If you saw human beings doing nothing but drinking water or running around a field, would you think that is all there is to human beings? If you know the people drinking the water or running around, you have a different experience watching them.
Both elephants and killer whales are suffering dramatic losses in their population. Connect these two creatures for us and what challenges they face in the modern world?
Many people think that empathy is a special emotion only humans show. But many animals express empathy for each other. There are documented stories of elephants finding people who were lost. In one case, an old woman who couldn't see well, got lost and was found the next day with elephants guarding her. They had encased her in sort of a cage of branches to protect her from hyenas. That's seems extraordinary to us but it comes naturally to elephants.

People have also seen humpback whales help seals being hunted by killer whales. There is a documented account of a humpback sweeping a seal on its back out of the water, away from the killer whales. These things seem extraordinary and new to us because we have only recently documented these incidents. But they have probably been doing these kinds of things for millions of years.

I tried to take a break from writing about conservation to write about what animals do in their natural lives. I focused on three of the most protected populations of animals in the world-elephants in national parks in Kenya, wolves in Yellowstone National Park, and killer whales in the Pacific Northwest; in all three cases I found that these protected animals are still being killed by people.

Elephants have been undergoing a tremendous slaughter since 2009, when the powers that be decided China could import ivory from dead elephants. As a result, elephant populations are being devastated by poachers throughout Africa and Asia.

In the case of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park, the U.S. removed endangered species status from wolves outside the parks. So, when wolves from the parks stray outside, they're often shot and it is usually the alpha pack leaders who are killed. When wolf packs lose their alpha male or female, they often break up. The younger wolves don't have the knowledge to survive that adults have.
Do you have animals in your everyday life? If so, tell us how they confirm or disprove your theories.
Killer whales have very poor reproduction because the salmon stock they depend on is so depleted that they don't get enough food and are not in good enough condition to bear young. The young don't survive well, either. Killer whales are full of toxic chemicals that they get from their food and the polluted waters where they swim around Washington State and West Coast of the United States. Even though they're endangered and they're supposed to be afforded the strictest protections, the Navy also continues to test live bombs in areas where these whales swim.

One pod that desperately needed a young, healthy female had their only young female killed by massive hemorrhaging in her ear canals. A Navy bomb explosion was recorded on the listening devices of the whale researchers the day she died. It's very distressing that even when we are supposedly protecting these animals they're not being protected by our own government.

I was never much of a dog person because I was interested in free-living, wild animals, but I have two dogs now and I cannot believe how much I love these dogs and how much they are part of our family.

They know exactly who we are. They know who strangers are. They are often very, very happy. Occasionally they get frightened by things that are strange or they aren't sure what's going on.
You use the term "vivid" to describe the lives of animals. Explain.
The only thing they cannot do is speak to us in full sentences, but they communicate all the time. They know what they would like to do and they can plan a little bit. They may not plan what they're gonna do next week, but they know when they want to go out or when they want to get us to take them out for a run.

When we take them to a certain beach, they know exactly what the routine there is, even if we haven't been to that beach in months. When we take them over to my mother's, they remember that the shed in her backyard has cottontail rabbits under it and they always run straight to the shed to investigate.

I've studied wild animals a lot and I'm always struck by how extremely alert they are and how well they sense what's going on around them. They're much more aware, compared to humans. Modern day humans go outside and don't see, hear or sense very well. Our senses have dulled over thousands of years of civilization and settled living. I think that an animal's experience of life is much sharper and clearer. That's why I use the term "vivid".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yes, Animals Think And Feel. Here's How We Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do animals feel empathy? Does an elephant have consciousness? Can a dog plan ahead? These are some of the questions that award-winning environmental writer Carl Safina teases out in his new book, Beyond Words: How Animals Think and Feel .

# data[].attributes.body
Correlation with Love

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Empathy. It's the bedrock of intimacy and close connection; in its absence, relationships remain emotionally shallow, defined largely by mutual interests or shared activities.

Without empathy, we could live and work side-by-side with other people, and remain as clueless about their inner selves and feelings as we are about those of strangers on a crowded subway car. Empathy isn't just the engine for closeness and prosocial behavior; it also puts on the brakes when we are behaving badly and become aware of the pain we're causing. Those of us who've had the misfortune of being intimate with someone high in narcissistic traits, combined with impaired empathy, know the devastation that can ensue. When there are no brakes and an excess of self-interest, you end up with scorched earth.

Yet for all the emphasis and value our culture places on empathy-especially as an antidote to bullying and other anti-social behavior-there's real confusion about what it is and isn't. Here's what science knows about empathy:
1. Empathy and sympathy aren't synonyms.
People often use the words interchangeably, but they are, in fact, separate processes. When you feel sympathy for someone, you identify with the situation that the person finds him or herself in. This can be a perfectly genuine feeling; you can feel sympathy for people you've never met and for a plight you've personally never experienced, as well as for people you know and scenarios that are familiar to you.

But feeling sympathy doesn't necessarily connect you to the person or what he or she is feeling. You can be sympathetic to someone's situation while being completely clueless about his feelings and thoughts. Sympathy rarely compels you into action except, perhaps, writing a check when you see heartrending photos of abused dogs set to weepy music on television commercials. Sympathy doesn't build connection.

The emotional process called empathy is something else; it involves identifying with what someone is feeling and, additionally, actually feeling those feelings yourself. This isn't a metaphor like walking a mile in someone else's shoes, but more literal than not, as neuroscience has shown. Sympathy is feeling for someone; empathy involves feeling with them.
2. Empathy isn't about intuition.
Research shows that most people think of empathy as intuitive, more of a gut reaction than a function of reasoning, somehow connected to feeling or associated with the popular term " mindfulness."

Psychologists Jean Decety and Claus Lamm suggest that empathy consists not just of emotion sharing (a largely unconscious process), but executive control to regulate and modulate the experience. Both are supported by specific and interacting neural systems. Research shows that mimicry is part of human interaction, and it happens on an unconscious level; we mimic the facial expressions of those we interact with, along with their vocalizations, postures, and movements. Talk to a frowning person and you'll probably end up with a frown on your face too. This unconscious mimicry probably helped early humans communicate and feel kinship; it's the component that precedes empathy. Neuroscience also confirms that seeing someone in pain activates the parts of your brain that register pain.

Being able to take on the perspective of someone else-a cognitive function-is also part of empathy; it's thought that children begin to see how others see them around the age of four and, in turn, they are able to see others by shifting perspective. Finally, the ability to regulate and modulate emotion is part of empathy. Since science knows that moods can be "contagious," the ability to self-regulate stops us from going down for the count when we empathize with someone who's suffering. Clearly being thrust into the depths of emotional turmoil yourself would be a deterrent to empathizing with anyone.

An interesting series of experiments at Harvard didn't just look at the belief that empathy is intuitive; they also compared empathic accuracy when intuitive and systematic ways of thinking were employed. The participants in these studies were largely seasoned, high-level business professionals. In the first study, they asked participants whether, if they were specifically hiring for people good at assessing other people's emotional and mental states, they would coach employees in an intuitive and instinctive way, or if they'd use systematic and analytical thinking. Three-quarters chose intuitive coaching! But three following studies showed that individuals who used systematic thinking were better able to read other people-whether in a dyadic interview, interpreting expression and emotion in a photograph, or other situations.
3. Empathy engages specific neural circuitry in the brain.
Experiments in neuroscience, using MRI imaging, provide physical evidence that bolsters the theoretical understanding of empathy by pinpointing the parts of the brain involved. That's what research by Boris C. Bernhardt and Tania Singer showed in an extensive review of the scientific literature, including their own work. Mimicry and mirroring-key parts of the theoretical understanding of empathy-actually take place in specific areas of the brain as well.
4. Empathy is learned behavior even though the capacity for it is inborn.
The best way to think about empathy is an innate capacity that needs to be developed, and to see it as a detail in a larger picture. Infants learn to identify and regulate their emotions through successful dyadic interactions with their caretakers, primarily their mothers. An attuned mother who's receptive to her child's needs and cues is one who permits her baby to thrive and develop emotionally. By having his or her emotional states recognized and responded to, the groundwork is laid not just for the child's sense of self but sense of other. In time, that seed grows into empathy and the capacity for intimate connection. (This is called secure attachment.)

Children who don't experience this kind of dyadic interaction have a diminished sense of self, difficulties managing and regulating emotions, and sometimes an impaired capacity for empathy. The avoidantly attached individual isn't comfortable in intimate settings, and has trouble recognizing his or her own emotions, as well as those of others. The anxiously attached adult may lack the ability to moderate emotions and may end up being swept up in someone else's emotions. That isn't empathy.
5. The capacity for empathy varies from one person to the next.
Not surprisingly, the extent of your own emotional intelligence-your ability to know what you're feeling, to accurately label and name different emotions with precision, and to use your emotions to inform your thinking-will make it easier or harder for you to be empathic. The more connected you are to your own emotions, the greater your ability to feel for others. Again, once you realize that empathy has a cognitive component, this makes perfect sense. It should come as no surprise that research shows adolescents who consider friendships and social connections important and are "embedded" in their social networks are more likely to display empathy than those who don't and consider themselves outsiders. And for all the press focused on the exclusionary chivvying of mean girls, it turns out that girls value social networks and friends more than boys.
6. Empathy might be dyadic and not just about the individual.
That's the contrarian point of view put forth by anthropologists who underscore that psychology's way of looking at empathy-as an individual's trait-has its limitations. A study by Simone Roerig and others emphasized that anthropologists view empathy as depending on "what others are willing or able to tell about themselves." By seeing the dynamic as dyadic, the point is made that the character of the person who's the target of empathy is as important as the empathizer. Additionally, they stress that cultural and social norms also act as moderators of empathy. In a study of Dutch school children, they found that kids were more empathetic when reminded by a teacher to "be a good classmate," but that empathy declined when it came to choosing sides for a game. Friends who were chosen last and were upset about it were comforted; mere classmates who felt this way were labeled "crybabies." Social convention and contexts play a role in how empathic a person is in a given situation, regardless of the individual capacity for empathy.
Visit me on Facebook. Copyright ©2017 by Peg Streep

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy. It's the bedrock of intimacy and close connection; in its absence, relationships remain emotionally shallow, defined largely by mutual interests or shared activities. Without empathy, we could live and work side-by-side with other people, and remain as clueless about their inner selves and feelings as we are about those of strangers on a crowded subway car.

# data[].attributes.body
What is a story?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
an account of incidents or events; a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question; anecdote; especially : an amusing one... See the full definition

# data[].attributes.body
What is storytelling?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Storytelling? – National Storytelling Network

# data[].attributes.body
Debatable

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Sam Price-Waldman, and Nadine Ajaka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A panel of storytellers share their favorite tales, from the Bible to Charlotte's Web.

# data[].attributes.body
Components of writing stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or important. A great story often does both by using storytelling to make important news interesting.

The public is exceptionally diverse. Though people may share certain characteristics or beliefs, they have an untold variety of concerns and interests.

So anything can be news. But not everything is newsworthy. Journalism is a process in which a reporter uses verification and storytelling to make a subject newsworthy.

At its most basic level, news is a function of distribution -- news organizations (or members of the public) create stories to pass on a piece of information to readers, viewers, or listeners.

A good story, however, does more than inform or amplify. It adds value to the topic.

The Elements of Journalism, in fact, describes journalism as "storytelling with a purpose."

Creating a good story means finding and verifying important or interesting information and then presenting it in a way that engages the audience. Good stories are part of what make journalism different, and more valuable, than other content in the media universe.

Research proves two things about good stories:

Treatment trumps topic. How a story is told is more important to the audience than its topic, what it is about. The best story is a well-told tale about something the reader feels is relevant or significant.

The best stories are more complete and more comprehensive. They contain more verified information from more sources with more viewpoints and expertise. They exhibit more enterprise, more reportorial effort.
This guide, like many of the others in API's Journalism Essentials section, is largely based on the research and teachings of the Committee of Concerned Journalists - a consortium of reporters, editors, producers, publishers, owners and academics that for 10 years facilitated a discussion among thousands of journalists about what they did, how they did it, and why it was important. The author, Walter Dean, was CCJ training director and API Executive Director Tom Rosenstiel formerly co-chaired the committee.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What makes a good story? - American Press Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or important. A great story often does both by using storytelling to make important news interesting. The public is exceptionally diverse. Though people may share certain characteristics or beliefs, they have an untold variety of concerns and interests.

# data[].attributes.body
The song ,¨7 years¨ tells a story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
FlourishAnyway believes there is a playlist for just about any situation and is on a mission to unite and entertain the world through song.

1. "Travelin' Soldier" by Dixie Chicks

This 2002 country song will make your eyes go misty. A lonesome young soldier, barely 18 years old, stops by a cafe. He's all decked out in his Army uniform and waiting for his bus. He'll be shipping off to Vietnam.

A sweet smile from a high school waitress prompts the soldier to ask if he can write to her while away. He has no one else. They spend an hour or so talking by the pier before his fate arrives to claim him.

They exchange heartfelt letters as he moves from an Army camp to war. But then the song ends sadly with the girl, a piccolo player in the high school marching band, crying under the football stadium stands as the names of local Vietnam dead are read.

2. "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band

In this well-known song from 1979, the Devil has his sights set on stealing souls, and Johnny, a country boy from Georgia, is in his cross-hairs tonight. The sneaky devil contrives a fiddle playing contest and tempts Johnny with a golden fiddle. Johnny's pride and greed won't allow him to turn down the Devil's deal.

The Devil is extremely talented, but our Johnny is better. At the end of the contest, Johnny boasts:

Devil, just come on back
If you ever want to try again.
I done told you once you son of a b*tch
I'm the best that's ever been.

In radio versions of the song, the expletive is replaced by "son of a gun." In 1993, there was a follow-up story-telling song called, "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia."

3. "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle

A third generation bootlegger, the redneck fella in this 1988 song isn't fooling around with the moonshine that his granddaddy made on Copperhead Road. He's also one-upping the home brewed whiskey that made his father and uncle locally infamous.

Returning from Vietnam, the young man decides to grow an marijuana. He warns, " You better stay away from Copperhead Road."

Copperhead Road was a real road in Johnson County, Tennessee, but officials had to rename the road, "Copperhead Hollow Road" because vandals kept stealing the street sign.

5. "7 Years" by Lucas Graham

In this 2015 international sensation, a man shares the life lessons he has learned throughout his 60+ years. From the tender age of seven, he has learned that life is all about relationships. They keep you from being lonely, and as teenagers you learn to test limits with your friends.

As a young adult he learns that " only those I really love will ever really know me." As a maturing adult, he treasures becoming a father and maintaining friendship connections. Then, finally as an older adult, his children provide him warmth and comfort.

6. "Fancy" by Reba McEntire

Fancy Rae Baker was born poor white Louisiana trash. However, she wouldn't stay that way, thanks to her mama's heart-wrenching decision. The family in this 1990 song was poverty-stricken and desperate. The father had abandoned them, her mother was gravely ill, and Fancy had an infant sibling who was hungry.

In an attempt to save her, Fancy's mama spent the family's last penny to buy the 18-year old a dancing dress. As she curled her daughter's hair and did her make-up, Mama advised Fancy, " Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy, and they'll be nice to you." Then she sent her out on her own.

Over the years, Fancy used her womanly charms on " a king, a Congressman, and an occasional aristocrat" and found that she was able to claw her way into high society.

Tell Us What Your Favorite Storytelling Song Is In the Comments Section Below

Why do you like it? Do you know all the words?

10. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

For years, music fans have argued over the specific meaning of this 1975 musical masterpiece. At its core, the song tells the tale of a man's admission to his mother that he has just killed a man:

Mama ... just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.

As he faces certain death for what he has done, he expresses guilt and his growing fear of what is to come.

11. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks shares the snapshot memory of a special dance the protagonist shared with his lover in this 1989 song. He describes the feeling of having it all when he held her under the stars. Even though their love affair ended, he wouldn't have missed their dance for the world. Must've been some dance, eh?

12."Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis

Rare is the song that can win gospel awards, become a Country Music Association Song of the Year, and also cross over to the pop charts, too. However, that's exactly what this 2002 song did. It tells the story of a farmer, a teacher, a preacher and a prostitute who were on an ill-fated bus trip to Mexico, all for different reasons.

Their bus ran a stop sign and collided with an 18-wheeler. The farmer and teacher died, and as the preacher lay dying, he placed a bloodstained Bible into the hands of the hooker. Now all that exists at the accident site are three wooden crosses.

The song is told from the perspective of the woman's son, who is now a preacher himself. The listener is left to assume that the hooker read the blood-stained Bible, found redemption in its spiritual message, and went on to marry and have a family.

13. "You're So Vain" Carly Simon

Taylor Swift doesn't have anything on Carly Simon when it comes to trashing former lovers. This 1972 song describes an ex-lover as a narcissistic ladies man. He's a jet setter who isn't beyond hooking up with " some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend." Sadly, those who mean something to him, he has no problem betraying.

The song describes Mr. Wonderful sashaying his way into a party. Wearing an obnoxious apricot scarf, he admires himself in the mirror while all the women dream of becoming his partner. She knows better, however, and understands that he can never love another as he does himself.

14. "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash

Life wasn't easy for a boy named Sue. This 1969 classic is told from the perspective of Sue. The only thing his father ever gave him before abandoning him at age three was his girly name. And because of that, the boy faced incessant ridicule and grew up mean.

As a young adult, Sue bounced from town to town, frequenting the honky tonks in search of his father. He was determined to get even.

Finally, he found him and got the (surprising) explanation he was waiting for:

... 'Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong.

15. "How to Save a Life" by the Fray

This emotionally impactful pop tune from 2005 describes a discussion between a troubled young person and a caring friend who seeks to help. The narrator provides a vivid description of a conversation between them. It seems to be a retrospective of how the narrator wishes their interaction had turned out:

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life.

16. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf

This 1977 rock song lasts more than 8 minutes, but it's utterly entertaining. The song demonstrates how one moment of weakness can sentence two vulnerable people to be linked together forever.

A teenage couple is parked by the lake when their makeout session gets overheated and takes a very adult turn. Before consummating their lust, the young woman demands:

Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away, and will you make me your wife?

Rather than answer her, the aroused young man prefers to sleep on it. But that's not good enough because she needs an answer NOW. They eventually give in to their passions, as he promises on his mother's grave to love her until the end of time.

The song then cuts to years later, as they are unhappily married:

So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive.
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now.
I'm praying for the end of time
It's all I can do (ooh, ooh)
I'm praying for the end of time
So I can end my time with you.

18. "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers

This 1979 song describes Tommy, a young man known locally for his cowardice. His father died in prison, but before leaving the 10-year-old in the care of the boy's uncle, his Pa advised him:

Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man.

Tommy grew up and found a sweetheart, Becky. However, when the trouble making trio, the Gatlin boys, assaulted her, Tommy let loose on them. He showed that even cowards have their limits.

"Stan" by Eminem (featuring Dido) - Clean Version

19. "Stan" by Eminem (featuring Dido)

One of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, this powerful song from 2000 is about a mentally unstable fan who reveals his obsession with the rapper through fan mail. The man becomes increasingly consumed, agitated, and then angry that his interest in the famous performer is not returned.

Lashing out, the fan makes a recording in which he puts his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk of his car then drives off a bridge. In the last part of the song, the rapper writes the fan back and tries to reason with him about his violent and irresponsible statements. It's not until the song's end that he realizes that the media has already reported the death of a man driving his car off a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk, and that man was Stan.

Eminem released a 2013 follow-up song, "Bad Guy" that tells a story of vengeance from the perspective of Stan's younger brother, Matthew. Older now and unable to move on from the death of his brother, a disturbed Matthew kidnaps Eminem and drives around Detroit with the rapper in his trunk.

20. "Mariner's Revenge" by the Decemberists

In this 2005 tale of vengeance, two mariners are stranded in the belly of a great whale, when one explains to the other that their lives are eerily connected. The narrator explains that when he was only three, his widowed mother fell for a young womanizer and gambler. He left her with debt and disease.

She lost her small estate because of her lover's debts. As she lay dying made her son promise:

Find him, find him
Tie him to a pole and break
His fingers to splinters
Drag him to a hole until he
Wakes up naked
Clawing at the ceiling
Of his grave.

The narrator then explains how he tracked down the mother's lover to honor her dying wishes. At the end of the song, it becomes horrifically obvious that the two men are no strangers.

Even More Songs That Tell a Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
146 Favorite Pop, Rock, and Country Songs That Tell a Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
FlourishAnyway believes there is a playlist for just about any situation and is on a mission to unite and entertain the world through song. This 2002 country song will make your eyes go misty. A lonesome young soldier, barely 18 years old, stops by a cafe.

# data[].attributes.body
Why do we listen?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We may as well ask "why do people read newspapers?", or "why do people watch television?" Somewhere in our DNA there's a compelling vibrating strand asking so be told a story, because stories help us to survive and experience happiness. For as long as human beings have had language, children have learnt about hunting, travelling, other tribes (friendly and not so friendly) from stories told around the fire. The stories about heroes teach each new generation how to survive floods, droughts, wars, illness and animal attacks. Stories about our ancestors tell us that we come from a long line of survivors. Stories about our parents and grandparents teach us about relationships. (Sometimes, these lessons show us what to do.) not

When we're presented with a string of facts, we can be rational and see the point. If we're interested. If we make an effort. Stories just sneak into our consciousness effortlessly. Rather than involving just the brain, stories become whole-body experiences. It is fairly common for people to feel cold when the story is about someone struggling through a blizzard or to catch a fragrance of roses when the story is about a young woman walking through a beautiful garden at dusk.

We love stories because the language used to tell them is usually simple and easy to understand. A good storyteller seeks not so much to impress as to involve; to show up similarities rather than differences; to charm and inspire rather than to command and create distance.

Watch an audience and you can really see the difference between storytelling and a typical bulleted powerpoint presentation. Who has the glazed eyes, slightly distracted, look? Who is fully present and attentive? Only a good story well told gets people emotionally involved and living the experience together with the teller.

Most of all, people love listening to stories, because they love repeating stories they consider to be interesting, compelling, important or funny. Telling a story is a great creative outlet and many of the straightest of people will show that there's an actor hiding in the suit. There isn't a person alive who doesn't enjoy having someone say '...and then? What happened then?' or to laugh or tut in the right place. And the most wonderful thing about a storiy is that it is much easier to remember than a list of rules. If you know the gist of a joke, (which is a story), it can be told in many different ways, in different languages, using different words, and the punchline will work every time.

Storytelling strengthens the imagination. To imagine is to envision, to see with the inward eye. This ability to imagine is the basis of all creativity. Creativity is being able to see beyond what is readily apparent. It is seeing a new answer to an old problem. (Carol Birch)

Hits: 1257

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why do people like listening to stories? | | Storytelling Africa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We may as well ask "why do people read newspapers?", or "why do people watch television?" Somewhere in our DNA there's a compelling vibrating strand asking so be told a story, because stories help us to survive and experience happiness.

# data[].attributes.body
What makes storytelling stories so interesting?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a new version of an old article.

Then (in 1990) - I was interested in the use of stories in psychotherapy.

Now - I'm interested in combining the power of stories with the power of science as we explore What Is Needed Now.

We need to use both ways of knowing - objective research using the scientific method and subjective discoveries found through personal experience. Both produce evidence about what is real and valuable.

Future posts will explore these ideas further.

But for now, here's my backstory about the power of stories:

For thousands of years we've learned by listening to stories. In tribal or nomadic societies that did not have a written language, essential knowledge was passed along in stories. Also, most religious traditions have used them for teaching core beliefs. Jesus, for example, used parables and the Sufis conveyed spiritual wisdom through their teaching tales. Sufi author Idries Shah wrote, "Most fables contain at least some truth, and they often enable people to absorb ideas which the ordinary pattterns of their thinking would prevent them from digesting." In fact, there is a Sufi belief that a story can communicate at seven different levels, reaching each person at their level of emotional and spiritual development. Stories can inform both the rational and the emotional mind by providing a surface meaning that speaks to everyone and a more subtle meaning that works separately on aspects of the inner self.

The therapeutic hour with a depressed man who had trouble loving and being loved had been passing in a dry, unproductive way when I decided to tell the beginning of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen:

Once upon a time there was a very, very wicked demon who loved breaking things and hurting people. One day he crafted a mirror he was terribly proud of because whenever someone looked in it, all that was beautiful became ugly and twisted, and all that was evil looked wonderful. In the mirror the most beautiful landscape looked like boiled spinach, and the loveliest people looked hideous.

One day, as the demon was flying around the skies with his mirror, something even more awful happened - the mirror slipped from his hands and crashed to earth, shattering into thousands and thousands of pieces, each fragment no bigger than a grain of sand. Each tiny piece could do what the whole mirror had done. The glass splinters whirled around the world every which way, and when one landed in a person's eye, it stuck there. Then all the good they could see became bad, and all the bad became good. When a tiny piece of mirror got in someone's heart, there waseven more terrible harm done because the heart grew cold, as cold as ice. Then the demon laughed until his sides ached.

The story made immediate sense to my client, reaching through his immobilizing rationality to his feelings. His depression had made life look like boiled spinach. But it was the image of the heart-freezing sliver of glass that opened him to new life: he saw his own dilemma mirrored in the story.

This is what good stories do. Not only do they entertain, they can reflect our human struggles. Through them we can learn something about who we are and how we live. Stories provide characters, situations, problems and possible solutions for us to "see" and identify with. The man with the frozen heart had an experience of connectedness, of "That is me", in hearing the beginning of The Snow Queen.

A good story lasts because people want to hear it again and again, and people want to hear a story again because it touches them. The power of stories to move people lies in their ability to connect the individual to the universal, whether they are the large stories of gods and heroes in myths, the lesser stories in folk and fairy tales, the cautionary stories in fables, or the history-bearing stories in legends and sagas. Hearing a great story, we can have the sense of "There is more than me." We are touched by the cosmos.

The connection between the individual and the universal happens in another way too. Joseph Campbell, whose books and television series in the 1980s created a renaissance in the use and understanding of myths, wrote that they reveal, "the whole spectacle and oneself." Seeing the whole spectacle and knowing the connectedness of all things isn't a return to a primitive way of thinking, it is profound wisdom. This is the stuff of stories.

In 1981 Morris Berman, a cultural historian, wrote a wonderful book (THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF THE WORLD) proclaiming that the days of being tightly limited to facts, logic, and objective observation were over. He said then that a change was occurring that had to do with creativity and community, with mystery and meaning. It had to do with turning away from the narrow abstractness of the standard scientific world-view and turning towards the inclusion of the non-material, subjective elements of existence. We are still working on that change now, 25 years later.

A pivotal science of our day - quantum physics - has changed our world view. We no longer think - as classical physics taught, - that everything would eventually be explained through the process of careful, detailed studies of matter and motion. Before the Scientific Revolution we did not stand apart from the dance of the universe around us, but with the physics that originated in the 17th century we stopped being participants and became observers of the world around us. With the separation of observer from what was observed we came to exist in a material universe that we believed was quantifiable and could be known completely through logic and reason. The whole became merely the sum of its measured parts. Intolerance developed for all that was considered "irrational" and we lost touch with our hearts, with intuition and mystery, and with our place in the natural world. This view of reality became the zeitgeist, the shared view of modern Western societies. In a one-sided pursuit of the factual we diminished the non-material aspects of life.

As our view of what is "real" changes, what and how we teach must also change. We must re-include dimensions of existence that we had to set aside during the centuries in which we freed ourselves from superstition and ignorance. Now, I believe, we need a full understanding of the multidimensional nature of reality so that we can live whole lives and support a healthy world. We need both ways of knowing: the objective way of scientific research and the subjective way of narratives about human experience.

Why do we listen to stories? Because they can help us to understand life and the extraordinary nature of the world around us.

This new version of an old article was originally published in the January/February 1990 issue of COMMON BOUNDARY Magazine as "The Re-enchantment of Psychotherapy".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a new version of an old article. Then (in 1990) - I was interested in the use of stories in psychotherapy. Now - I'm interested in combining the power of stories with the power of science as we explore What Is Needed Now. We need to use both ways of knowing - objective...

# data[].attributes.body
Why do we love the way Disney tells us stories with their movies?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Follow this ancient script to face any problem

Solving a problem in real life is a lot like following a Disney script.

You have a hero, a conflict, failed attempts to solve the problem, back-up plans, a breakthrough, a solution that works and finally a conclusion.

By the end, we are back where we started, but transformed with new powers and knowledge.

Movies succeed with this narrative arc over and over again because we can all relate. If you look at Disney and Pixar movies, they are variations on this same timeless theme, sometimes calledthe hero's journey.

In 1985, writer Christopher Vogler compiled the stages of the hero's journey in a 7-page memo for Disney that became a guide for storytelling. That's why it may seem so familiar.

But these stages don't just work in Hollywood. They also work in real life.

When faced with a problem, you can picture yourself as the hero of your story and tackle the issue in the same way as Simba, Woody, Elsa, or Mr. Incredible. That means it won't always be easy, but if you stick with it you might find you grow and transform.

Here are 13 steps to tackle a problem like a Disney hero.

Step 1: SEE the world

The first thing any Disney movie does is introduce you to the "rules" of their world. It could mean talking animals, a post-apocalyptic planet Earth or a kingdom under the sea. Once you see how this world works, you accept it as the natural order of things.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." - Yogi Berra

What this means for you: You learn to accept the status quo when you live in your world day in and day out. So pretend you are seeing your environment as the opening credits of a film. View it with fresh eyes. What are the rules that govern your world? What might present opportunities and what foreshadows future pitfalls?

Step 2: DEFINE the problem

Soon after we are introduced to this world, we realize that there is trouble in paradise. At first, you might not be able to pinpoint the problem, you just have a general sense that something is off. Andy is growing up. Something is happening with Riley's emotions. Scar is up to something.

What this means for you There can be no adventure if you don't have something to overcome. Define and write down what problem you are trying to solve. At this point, your knowledge of the problem will be limited, and that's OK. You'll learn more about what you're up against as you progress on your journey.

Step 3: GET OVER your reluctance

This new adventure has the promise of reward at the end, but danger also lurks on this journey! There is the fear of the unknown. Will our hero take the challenge or play it safe?

What this means for you Maybe you're not sure if it's your place to tackle this problem. Maybe you think you don't have the right job title or qualifications. Maybe it's not your place or the right time. But if not you, then who? To quote LeanIn, what would you do if you weren't afraid?

Step 4: CHOOSE WISELY. Wishes are limited.

Congratulations! You accepted the challenge. Now don't get cocky, kid. There might be a temptation to do too much or divert your attention to something else. If you get three wishes, don't try to use one of them to get unlimited wishes - that never works.

What this means for you Remember why you set off on this journey in the first place and don't get sidetracked.

Step 5: Expect the UNEXPECTED

Just when you think you were coasting on the easy path to victory, you realize something has gone completely array. You thought you were home free and you discover you have a stowaway on your floating house.

What this means for you It's always going to be harder than you think. Don't get discouraged by setbacks - try to view them as long-term opportunities.

Step 6: Know when to LET IT GO

So you experienced a setback. Sometimes the best course of action isn't immediately rushing back into battle. Sometimes you need to retreat, regroup and recognize what you're actually capable of.

What this means for you Failure is inevitable. Use the opportunity to reflect. And then repeat after me, LET IT GO, LET IT GO!

Step 7: LEARN from failure

You can only retreat for so long if you want to actually solve your problem. After a period of reflection, it's time to face your failure - but with new knowledge. In the immortal words of Rafiki, "The past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it."

What this means for you Inspect WHY you failed and write down the cause. Then remove that obstacle. So what are you going to do? As Simba tells Rafiki, "First, I'm gonna take away your stick."

Step 8: Recruit a PARTNER to fly high

You thought you could go it alone when you first started. And now it's harder than you thought. To get through the next challenges, you need not just a sidekick that provides comedy relief, but a true partner.

What this means for you Every hero has a weakness. To succeed, you may have to find someone who is very different than you that can complement your strengths. Maybe it's a former rival. Maybe it's someone you previously dismissed. Maybe it's someone you can't stand but you need each other.

Step 9: PREPARE for your comeback

When Mr. Incredible comes out of retirement, he has to train for the life of a hero. He works out. He goes on missions. He recruits Edna to update his costume. He wears his suit under his regular clothes. You never know when the next moment to save the day presents itself, so he has to be ready.

What this means for you In the movies, "the road back" may come in the form of a training montage with inspirational music. In real life, it's not that quick and easy. Determine what weaknesses you have to work on and then practice. Then practice some more.

Step 10: QUESTION long-held assumptions

When you first entered this world, you accepted the rules of the status quo. You believe that you produced energy by scaring kids, for instance. But what if you could break the rules? What if you unlearned what you learned? What if you could produce energy for Monsters Inc by making kids laugh instead of scream?

What this means for you Are you doing the same thing all the time, but expecting different results? Try the George Costanza approach: " I will do the opposite!"

Step 11: Save the day WITH FRIENDS

You're now ready to conquer the problem. The trials you've been through have made you better, stronger and more prepared. But you realize you still need help. You can't do it alone. When it appears that all hope is lost, karma can come back to save the day. Save someone, and one day they may save your life.

What it means for you Never pass up an opportunity to help someone else. You never know when they will return the favor.

Step 12: CELEBRATE

You've faced your failures and challenges and survived. You are "reborn" with greater knowledge and power than when you first started. You teamed up with friends to save others, and in the process saved yourself.

What this means for you Take stock of what you accomplished. Enjoy it.

Step 13: Brace yourself for the SEQUEL

Every good story deserves a sequel. Keep swimming!

What this means for you You've learned from your failures, now learn from your successes - and build off them. Get ready for the next adventure and watch the cycle repeat itself.

the end

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The secret to Disney's storytelling formula - Tim Cigelske - Medium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Follow this ancient script to face any problem Solving a problem in real life is a lot like following a Disney script. You have a hero, a conflict, failed attempts to solve the problem, back-up plans, a breakthrough, a solution that works and finally a conclusion.

# data[].attributes.body
Why do we love telling stories?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Philip Pullman once said: "After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."

There are few mediums more captivating than a well told story. From 'what happened next?' to personal connections we make through characters and events, everyone loves them.

What you may not know is that stories are a very integral part of being persuasive. Those in sales and marketing have known for a long time that stories trump data when it comes to persuasion because stories are easier to understand and relate to.

I won't keep you waiting with a cliffhanger, but if you're interested in understanding power of storytelling found through research, keep reading.

Why You Need to Incorporate Storytelling

Storytelling works. But why should you have to incorporate this flowery style into your writing?

A lot of folks are averse to telling stories because they believe that "the facts" are the most persuasive pieces of content they can deliver. It's not, and here's a visualization that helps to explain why.

Is it better to say nothing in a memorable fashion? No, of course not. Instead, know that how you say something is just as important as what you are saying.

Refusal to recognize this places you at risk of having your good information become lost in a sea of less-worthy content. You also miss out on the connections to be made via a strong narrative.

While we are all often resistant to the idea of being told what to do, we are very susceptible to agreeing with the "moral of the story" due to how it is presented to us.

How Stories Affect the Mind

Do stories really hold that much influence? According to research by psychologists Green & Brock, they do.

In fact, it's likely that you greatly underestimate how much stories affect you. The reason that stories work so well on us is that we are susceptible to getting "swept up" in both their message and in the manner of their telling.

Quite literally, stories are able to transport our mind to another place, and in this place we may embrace things we'd likely scoff at in the "harsh, real world". You'll often see politicians create a "story" for their campaign, and focus a lot of their efforts speaking with the public in crafting and standing by these stories.

Creating the story of "blue collar guy who is harsh on crime and supports states rights" is easier to understand than discussing the complexities of how the administration plans to actually tackle the crime rate.

You see this being utilized every day on platforms as big as TED talks to speeches by world leaders.

Instead of only discussing the information, they begin talks with phrases like, "Imagine if you will...", and as we've seen, it's with very good reason: stories help sell arguments of all types, from, "I believe that these liberal/conservative points of view are correct," to, "I believe this product is suited for my goals."

This information is useless, however, unless we address how to write better stories.

How to Create Better Stories

The #1 trait of a persuasive story is how engaging the story is. There are a million writers out there that will go on and on about how to craft amazing stories, but is any of that (potentially good) advice backed up by research?

In fact, there is an additional study conducted by Green & Brock that addresses just what makes a story engaging. Here's what they found:
1.. Suspense works just as well as you'd expect
The "cliffhanger" just may be the oldest trick in the writing book, especially writing for television, but there is a reason why it's used so often. It works!

Despite our numerous exposure to this method, our brain just can't "get over" suspenseful moments: it's a relationship that just won't die, we will always want to know what happens next. In fact, suspense works so well that the hotly debated Zeigarnik Effect would have you believe that it's the best way to kill procrastination.

Research in that area seems to point to humans being much more inclined to finish something that has already been started (researchers interrupted people doing "brain buster" tasks before they could complete them. Nearly 90% of people went on to finish the task anyway, despite being told they could stop).

Suspense in stories really allows you to create an addictive narrative, as long as the suspense appears early enough to capture interest, and doesn't keep people hanging on forever
2. Creating detailed imagery helps craft the setting you want
Want to get people swept up in your stories? Tell them what they are getting swept up into, and they'll respond.

Could any of us relate to the heroic deeds in tales like those of the Lord of the Rings without Tolkien's exquisitely detailed descriptions of the dangers of Mordor or the perils faced by Frodo and Sam?

The imagery paints the picture of any good story, we could say that [Spoilers if you haven't read/seen Lord of the Rings] "Frodo and Sam fight a giant spider," but Tolkien spends an entire chapter on the ordeal, taking the time to help the reader visualize the ferocious nature of the enemy and the bravery of our heroes who persevere despite their many weaknesses (doubt, fear, dismay, etc.)

Implementing the "real" into a fantastic setting often helps create a better connection with the reader. I don't know the feeling of encountering a spider the size of a house, but I do know what terror feels like, and I also know how hard it can be to persevere in the face of immense doubt of your abilities.

These all-too-real elements of a fantastical story make it easier to relate to.
3. Literary techniques are essential pieces of memorable stories
As with most high school kids in the United States, I was required to read a lot of the staples of high school literature. By far my favorite work was Animal Farm, a story that serves as a great example of the power of the many literary techniques at your disposal.

In the beginning, the story in Animal Farm seems quirky at best: When the de-facto leader of the animals, Old Major, dies, two pigs called Snowball and Napoleon take over and see out his "vision", which they interpret to be the driving out of Mr. Jones, the farm owner.

Snowball is eventually chased away by Napoleon, and Napoleon begins to enact new rules for the Animal Farm, which begin to become warped as Napoleon and the pigs become more like their previous masters, culminating with the memorable phrase revealing what the rules have truly become:

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.

Needless to say, there is a lot at work under the surface of this story, as it is an allegorical tale that relates the events of the rise of Stalin and the Soviet Union before the second World War II. Suddenly, a book about pigs taking over a farm begins to serve as a cautionary tale on how political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.

There are many literary techniques and a countless amount of examples, I'm simply serving up this particular one to show you a singular instance of a writer using them to turn a seemingly simplistic story into a extraordinarily memorable and highly controversial work of art.
4. Modelling works because change is easier with an example
If you want someone to change a behavior (or become more inclined to taking a desired action), then you can model it with a story. The character in said story should go through the transformation that you would like the reader to go through.

The transportation effect is really evident here: people place themselves in the situation being told, re-imagining themselves as the main character. Oftentimes, they are made to see why the choices made were the right choices.

Strangely enough, I often see web hosting providers showcase stories of customers past "cheap web-hosting nightmares" in which the customer describes a situation where they were freaking out from their site being down after receiving massive exposure, eventually "learning their lesson" and vowing to never again use anything but ______ [insert whoever is selling].

Positive stories are also used quite often, stories where individuals solve a huge menace in their life or get to where most people would like to be serve as transportation vehicles to recruiting new people to the cause.

If you run a fitness based business (as an example), highlighting a tale of triumph over the generalized disadvantages of being out-of-shape to accomplish what previously seemed like "impossible" fitness results is a great way to get people fired up to become more interested in fitness.

6 More Characteristics of Highly Persuasive Stories

I've really enjoyed a recent analysis (and the research) discussed in a piece by Roger Dooley, author of Brainfluence.

Dooley discusses what a difficult time lawyers have in persuading the jury during a tough case, and the comparison he makes to your typical "car salesman" is spot on:

One of the toughest persuasion tasks is convincing a jury in a courtroom.

Car salespeople have it easy by comparison - they control the environment and have the undivided attention of the customer.

Imagine if you were in a Lexus showroom listening to why you should buy one of their vehicles, and at your elbow was a BMW salesperson, periodically objecting to the Lexus pitch and then delivering her own.

That's the situation in a courtroom - arguments presented by one side will be directly (and mercilessly) attacked by the other side.

So, how do the top lawyers overcome this?

Researchers Melanie Green and Dr. Philip Mazzocco conducted research on that very question, and their results reveal 6 interesting characteristics of persuasive stories, which we can compare to the earlier study.

Their research was called Narrative Persuasion in Legal Settings: What's the Story?, and in the piece they discuss why stories are much more influential than facts (again, a conclusion backed by numerous studies) through their ability to change emotional beliefs in a way that "logical" arguments just can't touch.

Knowing what we know about how emotions effect people's reaction to written content, we can conclude that this is some research that warrants a closer look. So, what were the 6 characteristics?
1. Delivery
Similar to how a good joke turns into a great joke with perfect delivery, Mazzoco and Green's research pointed to delivery in the courtroom being of the utmost importance.

This translates to writing in a similar fashion: pacing and deliver of the story matter as much as the content. What does that mean?

Well, it is largely determined by the author's ability to keep the "flow" of the story going and to deliver during pivotal moments, the same way a good prosecutor may begin to bare down on a witness that starts to show signs of "cracking".

Memorability also matters as well, check out this hugely viral story on Reddit entitled "Today you, tomorrow me."

You'll notice the main line is delivered in a way that creates a lasting impression.
2. Imagery
Without very specific and stirring visual cues in a story, listeners (or readers) may not be as totally immersed as they could have been with something to "see."

If a prosecutor wants to convict a man of assault, he is (without a doubt) going to paint a picture for the audience of the suffering of the defendant, and will likely use expressive language to evoke a feeling of sympathy from the jury, who (as they listen) visualize the potential suffering of the man/woman in front of them. (Words like: victim, violated, abused, atrocious, attack, malicious, etc.)

Many studies show that the brain "lights up" in reacting to imagery, truly transporting the reader to the events being described (recall any good story you've read or heard, you know that you placed yourself "there" during it's telling).
3. Realism
As I mentioned, I love finding complimentary evidence because it helps us in being more certain that the strategies we are using are accurate.

That being said, check out this quote from Dooley on the importance of realism:

Even if you are painting a fictional picture with the story, its elements need to relate to the reality that the audience is familiar with, for example, basic human motivations.

Doesn't that remind you almost exactly of what I was talking about with the Lord of the Rings example? (in the earlier study)

It seems that we can conclusively say that the human mind is able to relate to and absorb stories much better if there is a "human" element in the story that is easy for the audience to imagine, even when the actual tale may not be.
4. Structure
One example I can't help but think for this point is the film Memento and it's subsequent praise & criticism for it's plot structure.

The debate is over the telling of the main character's story, which happens entirely in reverse (he has amnesia, and the viewer watches the ending of the movie and slowly views events preceding it).

The critics of the film point to the fact that it is quite hard to enjoy the film a second time: the suspense is really just imaginary because the plot is so confusing when you watch it backwards. Great movies, they would argue, can be enjoyed again even when you know what's coming.

That's because they use an effective structure that keeps you glued to the screen to see what's next, even if you already know (obviously losing it's effect over time for most people)

This research would agree, showing that people prefer stories that follow a logical manner, and that elements of suspense are most effective when established early to keep people engaged.
5. Context
Context can often have a significant impact on the persuasiveness of a story.

If the teller of a story comes off as not being genuine, as incompetent, or as just an "unlikable" person, it can have an averse effect on the story itself.

I've often noticed that stories on places like Reddit tend to flop when they are over-exaggerated or use language that is too flowery (not "real").

Dooley also addresses the importance of more basic surroundings (in a literal sense), such as the detrimental effects of a noisy courtroom or a cluttered and messy website for instances online. It is often a good idea to address these concerns of the audience by establishing the storyteller (be it you or someone else) as sincere and credible enough to listen to.
6. Audience
Certainly the factor that you have the least "control" over, both in the courtroom and for your content.

People vary to such a great degree that the same story can have either a large or very minimal impact on them. Dooley mentions that jurors often go through a selection process and that lawyers are careful in keeping their eye out for "suitable" or "unsuitable" members.

While you won't necessarily be doing the same thing with customers, you can do the same thing with your content: a thriving, engaged audience is only created when you determine who you don't want reading your content along with who you do.

Be sure to establish in your unique selling proposition just what kind of reader your really after, and what kind you aren't.

Beyond the "Digital Campfire"

If you're familiar with the works of Steven Pinker, you'll recognize the incredible importance that language has played in human history in the preservation of information (stories being used to because they were easier to remember).

Today, a huge contribution of the internet is to serve as our generation's digital campfire. When it comes to selling, however, facts remain an important compliment to stories.

The research by Mazzocco and Green also discusses evidence that points to two ways in which the human mind processes information:

1. Rational appraisal

2. "Experiential"

Experiential is the way most closely associated with stories, as it is when our minds (as the researchers put it):

"...[construct] an imaginary world filled with quasi-experiences."

Meaning, we can relate to stories due to their general message, even when we haven't had the same exact experience. Even more interesting? The researchers would suggest we can only operate with one at a time.

This would insinuate that you should use both the power of stories and the "logical" argument in different phases.

We make our decision emotionally (and, to varying degrees, unconsciously), and then let our rational processes justify that decision with facts.

Use stories to activate the experiential side of your reader's brain, and you'll have won their attention and interest. When you back those stories up with facts, you'll have won their trust.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Philip Pullman once said: "After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world." There are few mediums more captivating than a well told story. From 'what happened next?' to personal connections we make through characters and events, everyone loves them.

# data[].attributes.body
Universal Stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
No matter where you're from, you probably have your fair share of wild myths. From stuff like the legend of King Arthur and his magic BFF to the mischievous gods of Ancient Greece to the insane epics of Hindu mythology, just about every culture comes with a set of stories that most other cultures call foreign or strange.

But then there are the universal myths-myths that crop up repeatedly in cultures separated by hundreds of miles and thousands of years. These myths are so near-universal that their prevalence is downright spooky.

10 The Great Flood

The idea of a flood that drowns the entire world pops up in almost every single culture. Jews and Christians know it as the story of Noah, but other versions almost certainly predate the Genesis account. The Ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh includes the tale of Utnapishtim, who builds a boat, fills it with animals to escape a deluge, and eventually comes to rest on a mountaintop. The Greeks had Deucalion, who survived a flood sent by Zeus. Other versions appear in Hindu, Mayan, and Native American legends.

These tales may or may not be inspired by reality. In 2009, National Geographic reported on the utter lack of evidence for a globe-destroying super-flood. Yet theories still persist of an ancient comet strike near Madagascar sending tsunamis across the globe or a sudden flood caused by melting glaciers drowning the entire Black Sea area. Could this universal myth simply be the faded memory of a real event that occurred around 5,000 BC? We may never know.

9 Paradise Lost

As anyone who's heard to their grandpa wax lyrical about the 1950s knows, people see the past through rose-tinted glasses. But this yearning for nostalgia isn't just restricted to old folk rattling on about how kids showed more respect in their day. Very often, it fills entire cultures.

Take the Garden of Eden. The story of a harmonious land uncorrupted by pain or lust is the biggest slice of "good old days" nostalgia you'll ever encounter. The Ancient Greeks, meanwhile, fondly recalled their Golden and Heroic Ages-a time when the world was happier, men were men, and things basically didn't suck so bad. Similar ideas appear in Hindu, Norse, and Persian belief, always featuring a lost utopia to which modern culture can never return.

Interestingly, there may be a scientific reason behind all this. Recent research into nostalgia has shown that idealized memories of the past may make us happier in the present.

8 Epic Cosmic Battles

The idea of an unimaginable war that threatens to tear apart the cosmos connects with us so deeply that it still powers our epic stories. The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and countless others all feature this age-old trope. It can be found in the legends of almost every ancient culture. Christianity has the battle between God and the rebel angels led by Satan. Ancient Greece had the story of the Titans taking on the gods of Mount Olympus. The Hindu tradition involves a dizzying series of battles so epic they'd give Peter Jackson daymares.

There are couple of ways of looking at this. One is to go down the Scientology route of claiming these legends are genetic memories of some apocalyptic battle that tore the galaxy apart billions of years ago. The other is to remember that most cultures throughout history have consistently been on the brink of war or prone to invasion, so an apocalyptic slaughter was probably never far from everyone's minds. Either way, it suggests the human drive to war is just about universal.

If you hated the last couple of years of hormone-driven angst-inspired vampire media, try living in Medieval Europe. Back then, belief in vampires was so prevalent that barely a single country didn't consider them a terrifying fact of life. When crops failed or there was drought or a baby was born with a slight deformity, you'd better believe vampires got the blame-a tradition that stretches back thousands of years.

Undead bloodsuckers aren't a modern invention. They weren't even dreamt up this side of the Common Era. Cultures as mind-bendingly old as the Ancient Egyptians believed wholeheartedly in their existence, while versions of them turn up everywhere from China to Tibet to India. Even the Persians of Mesopotamia had a selection of ferocious blood-drinking demons to terrorize children, although they bore differences from our modern Anne Rice-inspired variety.

Looked at rationally, it's easy to see how the vampire legend arose: our fear of death crossed with a huge degree of medical ignorance. Looking at it again after dark when a scary wind howls outside . . . well, let's just say we won't be hawking off our garlic stocks anytime soon.

6 The Atlantis Myth

We all know the myth of Atlantis: a utopian city wiped out in a single night thanks to an unearthly cataclysm. But Atlantis is only the most famous of mythical lost cities. Near-identical stories crop up with such regularity that it's tempting to think they must be somehow related.

Take Iram (also known as Ubar). A fabled city in the deserts of modern Saudi Arabia, Iram is said to have been wiped out in a single night when Allah buried it under a flood of sand. In other words, it's the Atlantis myth translated to a world without water. Then you have Ys off the coast of France, which was supposedly flooded around the 5th century by a mythical warrior king. And that's before we get onto the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Hindu myth of Tripura, which both involve gods wiping out immoral cities in a rain of fire.

In short, the idea of a city obliterated overnight is so powerful it seems to show up everywhere. Are these half-remembered tragedies with some basis in fact (like Pompeii) or just stories that play to the apocalyptic fantasist in all of us? We'll leave it to you to decide.

5 A God's Resurrection

Jesus's resurrection is the big selling point of Christianity, a unique moment that established Christ as the one true savior. At least that's the idea. In reality, the idea of a dying deity or important human who is later resurrected has been around for millennia.

Most famously, this includes the story of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god whose birth was heralded by a star, who was betrayed by a friend, was murdered, and was later resurrected. But there are less explicit versions too. The Greek cult of Dionysus had their figurehead killed off every two years, only to rise again at a later date. Persephone also died regularly, and many pagan traditions from Scandinavia to Central America involved gods dying and returning to life or men dying and coming back as deities.

Perhaps most interestingly of all, a historical tablet known as "Gabriel's Revelation" allegedly tells the story of a Jewish rebel known as Simon who was killed by the Romans, only to be resurrected three days later. The catch? It was written in 4 BC, over 30 years before Jesus allegedly pulled off the same trick. Either it's a mistranslation, or the Son of God was building on centuries of groundwork by other deities.

Dragons are likely the most traveled creature in all of mythology. Even more than vampires, they have a habit of turning up in societies and cultures so far apart in time and space you'd think it was impossible. There are ancient Sumerian tablets that record the act of dragon-slaying, Greek tales of dragons cavorting with other monsters, and an entire science built around the uses of their bones in China. In Central America, the Mayans worshipped the feathered snake Quetzalcóatl, while both Norse and Christian mythologies specifically mention dragons.

As late as 1886, Victorian scientists still held that dragons had once existed but had gone extinct. Not until dinosaurs became firmly established in the public mind did people see the probable link between ancient fossils and dragon myths. Currently, our best guess is that various cultures all stumbled over dino bones at some point and translated them into gigantic mythological beasts.

3 The Hero's Quest

Thanks to the occasional self-indulgent movie adaptation, most of us probably have a vague knowledge of the poems of Homer. Considered the earliest examples of Western literature, his Iliad and Odyssey are epic myths of tortured heroes fighting their way across oceans and continents in search of metaphorical salvation-and they appear in near-identical form in almost every culture.

It's called the " hero's journey," and just about all epic stories throughout history have followed the specific model. Famously, George Lucas deliberately based the first Star Wars on it, and you can find its influence in The Lord of the Rings, the Oz books, and even Harry Potter. But this archetypal myth was around even before fancy-pants anthropologists handed it over to lazy scriptwriters.

The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of Sinbad the Sailor in the 1,001 Nights, the legend of King Arthur, the tale of the Argonauts . . . all of these and plenty more fit the structure of the hero's journey just like Homer's awesome poems above. In fact, nearly every single culture in recorded history has myths that fall into this category. Even Moses's epic wanderings in the Bible fit this model. We as a species truly are lazy storytellers.

2 Explanations

Cultural myths don't just entertain us and record historical events. They also serve to explain why the world is the way it is. Hence the prevalence of stories designed to give a reason for some mystery of existence.

In the Bible, we have the Tower of Babel, which explains why we have different languages. God's speech prior to expelling Adam and Eve from Eden is another example, giving a reason for both the agony of childbirth and why ancient man had to toil all day in the fields. Wander across traditions into the stories of the Ancient Greeks and the legend of Prometheus demonstrates why fire is so valuable, while the story of Pandora gives a reason for the existence of disease and suffering.

Start looking for them and you'll find these explanatory myths scattered across every culture in history. There are myths that explain why rhinoceroses have no hairs, why incest is forbidden, and how medicine came into existence. Anything you can think of has some poetic explanation somewhere. In an unscientific age, poetry was often all we had.

1 Apocalypse

Everything that begins has an end, and our ancient ancestors knew that as simply as we do. No surprise then that most cultures carry an End of Times myth to counter their creation story -a sort of consolation prize for those who won't live to see the actual end (i.e. everyone).

For Christians, this apocalypse is a gigantic epic that plays out over many, many years and involves so many disasters, wars, and calamities that it's hard to keep track. Same with the Norse Ragnarok, which is a collection of disasters and battles that results in the Earth being drowned and recreated afresh. In Hinduism, it's another epic battle followed by a rebooted universe, while Buddhism annihilates the world in a pyrotechnic fireworks display so amazing it deserves its own Michael Bay film.

In other words, most humans throughout history have lived with their own personal vision of the end of everything, one that makes sense in the context of their lives and cultures. And that's all these myths really are: ways for us humans to make sense of the world we live in, no matter when or where we are. It's just an added bonus that some of them make absolutely awesome stories, too.

Morris is a freelance writer and newly-qualified teacher, still naively hoping to make a difference in his students' lives. You can send your helpful and less-than-helpful comments to his email, or visit some of the other websites that inexplicably hire him.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No matter where you're from, you probably have your fair share of wild myths. From stuff like the legend of King Arthur and his magic BFF to the mischievous gods of Ancient Greece to the insane epics of Hindu mythology, just about every culture comes with a set of stories that most other cultures call foreign or strange.