Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, is joined today by Kristen Donnelly (MSW, M.Div, Ph.D.) who is an empathy educator, speaker, and researcher with two decades of experience in helping people understand the beauty in difference and the power in inclusivity. In today’s episode, she shares her research on empathy and her dedication to helping people achieve a better understanding of themselves and others.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:17] Kristen shares about her role at Abbey Research.

[4:30] Kristen started a research company that has the mission of helping people to be human in a better way.

[5:12] During the pandemic, Kristen realized that generally, people lack empathy.

[6:30] Kristen decided to focus her work on helping people practice empathy; practice understanding with themselves and others.

[9:35] Kristen defines empathy as the consistent mindset that allows you to choose understanding before assumptions about yourself and others.

[11:01] How is empathy a mindset?

[13:43] Mindset can be cultivated.

[14:55] Kristen explains why people tend to assume instead of understand.

[16:30] We dehumanize people accidentally all the time.

[20:09] We are really bad at admitting we are wrong; we are going to make mistakes and that needs to be part of our mindset too.

[21:34] Kristen talks about applying empathy to ourselves.

[26:46] What are some things we can do to improve empathy with ourselves and others?

[29:25] None of us can do everything by ourselves.

[30:17] Kristen talks about the connection between empathy and compassion.

[33:30] Kristen encourages everyone to be human and messy, we are capable of terrible and wonderful things, all at the same time.

[35:52] Dr. Nate shares his three key takeaways from an amazing conversation with Kristen Donelly.

 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

“How Embracing Tolerance Has Failed Us” TEDx Talk by Kristen Donelly

Abbey Research

 

Tweetables:

“It is not universal to associate empathy with emotions, but it is universal to associate it with understanding.” #oncompassion

 

“Empathy is the consistent mindset that allows you to choose understanding before assumptions about yourself and others.” #oncompassion

 

“A posture of curiosity has to be part of your mindset in order to practice empathy.” #oncompassion

 

“We can all learn to understand each other better if we want to.” #oncompassion

 

“We forget that people are human all the time.” #oncompassion

 

“As you learn and grow, who you were is not a bad person, you were only doing your best, but make sure you can do better, you can keep expanding and evolving.” #oncompassion