What is Empathy?

[@youcantalkyourwaytohealthi8884]

People often underestimate the power of silent presence. There is an energy of strength that we give to others just by our willingness to be there. These are great tips especially for those who struggle to empathize with grief. Thank you for sharing this necessary content 🙏🏽

[@alexanderlyon]

Yes, that silent presence is powerful. Just the act of hanging in there and being with a person is powerful.

[@mohamedmoharm1819]

Firstly: my deepest condolences for your big loss. Secondly: I really do feel the people and always showing empathy and sympathy toward them!

[@tgan4488]

What you mention on empathy is the basis of communication and being able to understand human behavior. One can empathize with even the most horrible life players, enough to render understanding on their motivation in life. That is, not to be confused with agreement or allowance of bad behaviors, but an understanding which can offset anger and position oneself to positively overcome the misfortunes brought upon by those less aware of themselves, allowing forgiveness. My readings and experiences as an actor has given me experiences demonstrating the absolute power of empathy. Thanks again Alex, your words and manner is very healing!

[@chrisjones446]

I'm sorry to hear about the recent loss of your father. You make the world a better place by what you share. Thank you.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Chris.

[@spacecapbtw]

A few years ago I was so empathetic I could connect in no-time with others, but the Problem was I overemphasized and that was tearing me down and so I stopped being empathetic and lost many friends. Now I want reclaim that ability and this time set up emotional boundaries.

[@vidhulomega7562]

I'm in relationship right now and the most i needed is empathy , I'm bad at understanding and listening at problems i hope i can be better at it than before and help my relationship get stronger

[@michaeltriptow6877]

Empathy is an important key to being a well rounded person. In order to imagine that you where in some ones shoes. Takes a great leader.

[@ParisianStreets]

Sorry to hear the loss of your father. May his soul RIP.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[@ariroshto9997]

I’m sorry for your loss, man. You’re awesome. Thanks for helping people with their confidence.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Arii.

[@eagleaxis4958]

Just started following you. So sorry for losing someone you love dearly. It's more than a decade since I lost my dad. It is tough, but God has all His reasons. I am a psych nurse, I'm so thrilled to find this channel! English is not my native language, I badly needed help to improve my communication skills. Thank you & will surely watch all the other videos!

[@tgan4488]

I also wanted to say I feel your sadness and understand your loss. I keep a wall in my home dedicated with a photo of those that I have loved and lost. I go to the wall when I am at my lowest and in my mind, I acknowledge my love for them and what they left me with. It is healing and they walk with me throughout my life, even after they are physically gone.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, T Gan. I appreciate it. It's been months but it's still surprisingly difficult. Doing better overall, though. Baby steps.

[@Aaron-cc7yq]

I recently started medical school and when I am interviewing patients there are times when I know I need to express empathy. I usually do, but I know I can do it better and more often. I'm not naturally an emotional person and even in my personal life I am not good with expressing empathy, but I will continue to work on it and practice

[@winviki123]

My deepest condolences on the passing of your father. May his soul rest in peace.

[@malaashok275]

RIP Mr.Ken Lyon. Thank you for sharing your story. Your father is proud of the son and smiling from above. Condolences to you and your family. Brought back crystal clear memories of loosing my Mom eleven years ago. About being hyper-empathetic and setting boundaries and taking a break= great advice. It’s working for me. Especially being a health care professional working all through the pandemic. Thank you again.

[@maurodiaz5726]

Am so sorry about your loss, I really do. Thanks for helping this world to be a better place for living.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Mauro.

[@SM----PROMOS]

He is good I have been in trouble of somethings why people are not even wise and accepting others ......but way he mentioned his past experiences it moved me .... God bless ur dad's soul .... Amen

[@t.angelacook7721]

Coach Alex, I am enjoying all of your "givings"...so full of helpful information, always. This gift of Empathy --What, How, Who, When is perfect for the times, and for me. I especially loved the trailing minute with your dad singing to the world. It was instant connection for me. Bless his heart, and yours. And thank you for this, Alex.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thanks for sharing, TA Cook. I really appreciate your comments about my dad's music. He was, for many years, a professional musician as his full-time job. Thank you for sharing that moment with me.

[@malaashok275]

Dad’s voice was great, he calls you Alexander the Great in his intro to the song “ Long distance call”. My favorite is “Workin my way back home “. Thank you for releasing all his songs on his website. He is still communicating with his blues music. I can feel the soul in his voice. Thanks for Ed Vallee too, the lead guitarist.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you. He was quite a bluesman and father.

[@anthonyrossmaund3161]

Thank you Alex, sorry for your loss. I have been working on this for over 5 years. When i became sober and clean from heroine and coke, I had to take accountability for all of the pain I caused my family and friends watching me self destruct. Empathy hit me first when I had a dream about my son doing what I was doing to my mom with my overdose I had and that helped me get clean. Thanks for taking the time to teach us this stuff.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Anthony. And, thank you for sharing your example.

[@metzdupcounselor]

This is a truly honorable tribute! Thank you for sharing. As a therapist, I can at times be hyper-empathetic and need to be very careful what I read or what I watch so that I can be emotionally available for the real people with whom I interact. Still, a good story or movie that's just emotional enough helps me remain aware of my changing sensitivities so I can process through my own stuff and vicarious burdens, which allows me to be at my best for the next person. Not always done perfectly, of course! Again, thank you for this.

[@DesolateSolitude]

Since it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can Always empathize with ourselves.

[@winifredansa9179]

So sorry for the loss . Accept my sympathy

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Winifred.

[@nftiendaonline9732]

You've helped me improve my clases so much lately, I'm an English teacher, and your advice is top notch. Cheers mate.

[@alexanderlyon]

Great to hear! Thank you for the positive feedback.

[@visayalcd2629]

God bless your heart Alex

[@sgowri8872]

Great to hear this at these times... Making people know you are there and you can support however they choose to take the support is key. For some, it is leaving them alone and for some it is wanting to talk about it.

[@alexanderlyon]

Yes, everybody has various needs.

[@CP-gq5fw]

I quickly recognized the ending music! Love it! My sympathies for your great loss. My mom passed away in April ‘22 and I miss her greatly!

[@DavidRojas-pq7kc]

I sorry to hear about your lost. Thanks for sharing

[@alexanderlyon]

I appreciate that, David.

[@loretoreginaadriano2877]

I recently got hired and I encountered the subject on empathy. I’m glad I found you … On your question, I find it hard to emphatize. I really want to know how to …

[@kathconstance4684]

Deepest sympathies Alex, may you have the comfort and strength of family to see you through now and always. I could see from a micro expression when you were speaking of the horses how you are feeling. Your father was blessed to have a son whom loves him so

[@MasterTalks]

Alex is such a great guy, absolutely, his dad was blessed to have him. :)

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@054harivigneshd4]

Hi sir. A small fan of you from India 🇮🇳

[@MasterTalks]

Great to see you here, Alex is an excellent content creator.

[@alexanderlyon]

Hello from New York state (the part near the Great Lakes)

[@archanabiswas1664]

Words are powerless to express my grattiude......sir..

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Sara. I appreciate it and I'm glad it was helpful.

[@pauly51]

Sorry for your loss, great videos

[@PracticalInspiration]

This was an excellent share. I'm sorry to hear about your loss

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[@abdulhafizbozdag2988]

Thank you Mr Alex

[@apurvatrivedi5944]

Super well spoken

[@mandarjoshi3691]

Thank you Professor Lyon for this video. My deepest condolences on the loss of your father. May his soul rest in peace.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Mandar. I appreciate it.

[@mr.merleb]

I am so sorry for your loss

[@bennirsk]

Thank you so much!! This video helped me successfully finish all my grieving processes😮‍💨 PS: Thanks for the side info on empathy🙏😉

[@brianstephenson4713]

Great content! Thank you. Now I know how to show empathy. I am building my empathy skills through this content that you are sharing.

[@alexanderlyon]

Wonderful, Brian.

[@joliewallace686]

My condolences to you and ur family I lost my grandfather earlier this year and it has been hard so i can oonly imagine how hard it feels to loose your father stay strong :)

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Jolie.

[@birdlover6842]

Thank you for your informative video. I have moderate intellectual disability and do not understand some of the empathy videos but yours made sense. I want to improve myself. Being friendless with autism and mental impairment makes social connections hard. :-)

[@MasterTalks]

Sorry to hear about your dad my friend. Stay strong.

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Brenden. I appreciate it.

[@studentsclub6951]

Empathy is about connecting with other person's emotions.

[@positivelife3729]

I am big fan of you ,sir 👏😀

[@jamesthew7941]

Once again, another informative video. Thank you, Alex! Now listening to your father's Old School CD...

[@alexanderlyon]

Thanks for listening, James. I appreciate that. He was able to see a couple of albums worth of music posted to his channel before he passed away.

[@positivelife3729]

Keep sharing

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, I will.

[@positivelife3729]

Sir,I want to know how to conversation on difficult situation

[@alexanderlyon]

Good topic but I don't have any videos on that yet. I'll put it on the list.

[@AndresLeonRangel]

About your loss. My mom went to heaven in 2012. I understand. God bless Alex :-)

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Andres.

[@berenice101]

I can easily empathize with people.

[@quantaviusbrumfield5348]

Thanks a lot brother I pray god bless you abundantly this video was very helpful an I plan to check out your other one soon an again thank you so much

[@jamesasenji3235]

May Daddy's soul rest in eternal peace. May the Holy Spirit keep supplifying you and family. God bless you

[@alexanderlyon]

Thank you, James. I appreciate it. God bless you too.

[@alexanderlyon]

Do you find it difficult to empathize? Or, at the other end, do you tend to *_hyper-empathize_* ?

[@kathconstance4684]

Being an empath I've had to stop trying to 'fix things' and take things on for others. Learning to 'label' and sympathise is sometimes more appropriate in more distant relationships.

[@MasterTalks]

@@kathconstance4684 Great description + add here. I agree about the point about learning to label.

[@malaashok275]

I am more like the sponge. I feel it’s a calling for my life. It’s hard for me to walk away, more so because of my work. Can you please talk about guilt and fear of not being a sponge. Thank you.

[@AbrahamChel-lm5ls]

Hello there!! I hope you are doing great. Amazing content, I learned a lot but I want to read the book as well. By any chance do you have the name of the book you were talking about?

[@rogeliorodriguez529]

Not having empathy ruined my relationship. I know now how to connect .

[@chriso847]

In order for someone to believe and feel that you have empathy for them, it seems to me that you have to convince them that you agree with what they’re feeling. But what if your spouse feels that you have many horrible traits that are causing their unhappiness? Must you agree with their view in order to have empathy? What if you don’t agree? Does that mean you lack empathy?

[@SmittyTra-tra]

How about when you have to express empathy to someone who is angry or disrespectful to you in the moment? Now that is tricky!

[@crakton]

Does having empathy have to be in situations that are sorrowful or just how you mentioned: connecting to others feelings; irrespective of the type of feeling?

[@alexanderlyon]

Empathy can be for any feeling or understanding. It's not uniquely about negative or difficult situations.

[@mengkheangly9324]

I really want to know more about Empathy

[@alexanderlyon]

I hope this video is helpful.

[@treelemon6708]

My husband don't have a empathy I am struggling a lot dealing with it. My husband work as an SF in a army Maybe his job and also make him that way? I am 8 month pregnant I need support and empathy in a relationship I been explaining to him what is empathy he just don't get it. I'm move to US for him. I need feel at least someone next to me. I don't have a friends here my parents far away. But he just put me in danger mentally more put fire if I open how I feel If I try spending time in a household he fallow behind me back and telling me what to do and everything I do make sounds like wrong. And then I got so angry and frustrated he told me I have an anger issues. So never really finished communicating and let it out how I feel feeling stuck.

[@5crownsoutreach]

I think a key skill for leaders today is recognizing those who ARE NOT capable of empathy.

[@DAClub-uf3br]

I never feel that others understand me and likewise I don't understand them. I don't ask questions of others because i don't like to be questioned.

[@Ramenenglish]

Thanks for sharing. I'm trying to understand empathy and still have some questions. First I would say.. if my dad passed away I would also feel very sad, though I know the Bible says not to grieve as those who have no hope. I would want to rest assured my dad is in heaven because he believed in Jesus. (1 question below/ 1 thought) 1. What if two people are looking for empathy at the same time? It seems like this happens where one person is feeling bad about something and in that process they don't give empathy to another person. Like whose draw for empathy wins? 2. I think that some people could be offended if you told them your dad died and they were like... aww my dog died a few years ago too. (Any thoughts on this?)

[@rafiaansari7279]

I was a very empathetic person till my early teenage years.. Later things happened and now i can't really connect with people. No matter how hard i try i am unable to understand them... Working on it though❤

[@nightcrown1415]

Same hare 😢 it's really bad now im loosing the ppl i love

[@nightcrown1415]

If u r okk can we talk i really need help the person like u

[@bloom292]

You guys talk about empathy like it's a choice it's not always a choice you've to choice you I feel these things whether I went to or not

[@demetriusmontrell]

So I have a question? I’m in college and I’ll take him human services associate degree. And one of my classes my teacher states that he does not agree that empathy is about connection he states that you can’t connect with everybody and you won’t be able to connect with all their good and bad presents. So my question is which I believe you answered in the video isn’t empathy all about connecting good bad to understand a person to walk a mile in their shoes and not just one person with many clients that come before you?

[@alexanderlyon]

Hi, Meechi. I think I almost understand your question. It sounds like you are coming to the topic from the standpoint of being a professional who helps people in need. I think at least part of what your teacher is saying is correct. I don't think it's a good idea (or practical idea) to attempt to connect with everybody. That would be exhausting and you'd likely burnout very quickly. One of the key things that counselors, social workers, etc. have to look out for is managing boundaries so that they don't get overwhelmed. Many people are drawn to human services and similar areas of work because they naturally care about people already. It really is a balance. If you find it easy to put yourself in other people's shoes and understand them, then you'll have to manage your emotional boundaries more. If you find it very difficult to put yourself in other's shoes (and don't, therefore, care for people appropriately), then you should develop your empathy more. I'm concerned that I'm not answering exactly what you asked but those are some additional thoughts that may contribute to the conversation you had with your teacher.

[@demetriusmontrell]

@@alexanderlyon oh OK yeah that makes sense thank you so much. I think I was kind of thrown off out what he was saying I didn’t understand it but now I understand it thank you for breaking it down for me. This is a good thing because I have his class today once I leave work and I’m really good at this human service field and I want to use my talent my gift to be there for others and I’m very good at being empathetic and being an empath and I feel like this is where my GIfe lies so I want this to be my passion I wanna take as far as I possibly can.

[@MariaTammy-v6l]

Blanca Avenue

[@AsimaGuruBahasa]

It is easy to emphatize when it is once, twice or three times problems but if the same issue keeps the same it is becoming hard for me to put emphaty on it. And this hard 😭 to cope with the situation. What is your insight?

[@AsimaGuruBahasa]

This is very helpful. Thank you so much

[@lesegoeuratiusmodiane8802]

I find it hard to empathize with others. I find it hard even to emote sometimes about things that I ought to be really emotional about it, I spend more time in the thoughts than the feelings of reality

[@AndresLeonRangel]

06:25 hyper empathy: thats my wife. me i lack empathy. Sometimes I don't get what people feel :-) I like people but I have a hard time with the empathy part.

[@alexanderlyon]

Makes sense.

[@LoisFouts-m2z]

Bradtke Expressway

[@Ig1049]

Yess!!!

[@RossSimmons-d2y]

Tillman Plain

[@xyfer5031]

I’m late to the vid but I’m sorry about your father

[@AdelaWayne-j7v]

Marjory Trail

[@stephanieherman2861]

some of the stories sound more like traumatic memories that have been triggered while other people were there than empathy

[@glibsoap]

i find it very hard to me empathetic, everyone says my biggest flaw it empathy so im learning it (autism lmfao)

[@MXObro]

Extra

[@muhammadayaz8160]

👍

[@simonflyboy]

♥

[@KabbaKargbo-sm5ck]

Sorry for the word i say 😢😢😢

[@VVhistory]

I am sorry but empathy cannot be learnt in adulthood: we are either born with empathy (mirror neurons) or nurtured to be empathic (from empathic parents), improved empathy is pretended empathy.

[@DR---]

It sounds to me that you lack empathy. True empathy is understanding people who DON'T think like you. For example a lot of men have no clue what women want in a man and a lot of women have no clue to what a man wants in a woman. The reason for this is because both men and women lack empathy for the opposite gender. Just like someone with a dominant personality doesn't understand the joy someone with a submissive personality feels when they are dominated. True empathy is realizing that your internal experiences can be different from others. It's realizing that just because a situation would make you feel sad that doesn't mean that it won't make someone else happy.

[@RandyEarith]

Being an empath is hard what is harder is being dyslexic because the world wants emotional intelligence implamenting backwords thinking and giving our youth the woke virus

[@nala3038]

I think crying is our purest form of empathy. Boys are taught not to cry, so we stop doing it. We're told to stop crying about our own pain and the pain of others, often animals, when we're little. So we eventually stop crying about the pain of others unless they die. We are taught to bury our empathy.

[@KabbaKargbo-sm5ck]

You talk too much 🎉😂

[@123wmc]

Jesus was not very empathetic, nature is not empathetic, we tell our kids not to talk to strangers because children relate primarily through feeling which can allow predators to take advantage so empathy at all costs seems to be very popular today but empathy can be an excuse to fail to take action to help people out of their pain. Empathy is giving a homeless person a blanket or buying a shopping cart when they need help with addiction....so empathy by itself has no long-term benefit to human relationships.

[@alabama2uz]

You have to be careful with empathy. It can be and is used as weapon to make people fall for bad ideas.

[@alexanderlyon]

Good point. Many communication skills can be weaponized with bad outcomes. It's why I also care about ethics in communication so much.

[@alabama2uz]

Condolences to you and your family on the passing of your father.

[@priyanka_6764]

May be upcoming generation can not able to know the meaning of empathy and sympathy , it is because people developing their personal emotions in wrong way without knowing how other person are maintaining their emotional life...😒