Empathy is an important piece of the social development pie. The person who can’t express empathy for others isn’t emotionally well-rounded. When you don’t try to internalize another person’s emotional experience and respond with kindness, you can become selfish and self-centered.

Those qualities could lead to fewer healthy relationships and even a lack of success on the job.

Empathy in the workplace is sometimes difficult. You might have coworkers that are hard to get along with. Showing empathy for those people can be tough.

For so many reasons though, being empathetic is a great way to advance your career. Here’s why.

Empathetic People Show That They’re Team Players

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If you’re like a lot of people, you probably spend some time online. Many of us waste a lot of precious time surfing the web. We know we should be doing something more productive, but it’s right there staring you in the face. Besides, it’s a lot more fun than doing the dishes or cleaning the garage.

Spend too much time online and your life can suffer in a number of ways. You might find it difficult to understand the emotions or feelings behind what someone is telling you. They’re not there in front of you. You can’t pick up on visual, nonverbal clues as to the emotions the person is experiencing.

Even when you can empathize with someone while communicating online, your responses are limited. You might want to help in some way. That’s a key part of the empathetic response. It can be difficult to respond with kindness or care to someone who you’re interacting with online. Continue reading →