It IS learned...normally in childhood. The WAY it is learned is through many years of various externally inflicted pains, both mental and physical. It is NOT automatically learned, however, because each child processes their pain differently.

While one child might become angry and vicious and wish to HURT others as a type of revenge for his OWN suffering, another child might say to themselves, "I never, ever, ever want another person to hurt in this way." That second child then become very sensitive to the signs of suffering in others.

That second child is the one who has learned "empathy".

Yes, but not so sure it can be taught.

happened to me

Like a lot that a child learns, it's more by example and experience, but in the end something inside has to click.

When apartheid was a major problem in the world, I seem to remember hearing about an experiment that was carried out with children or young teens. They were divided into two groups. One group had all the power and could order the other group about with the supervisors supporting those who had all the power. Some of the children in the group without power were deeply upset. Then the groups are reversed and those who had been 'oppressed' behaved even more badly. The outcome was not empathy, but a decision by the participants to make sure that they were never in a position where they couldn't dish out the nastiness to others.

Yes but it’s not a class you’ll have any fun in.

Yes ...to some it can be

Deep question. Uhmm Idk. A little doubtful. It's for sure nuanced. But is it a skill or a trait? I believe it is something within us or not to varying degrees and it can be altered or affected one way or another by our upbringing / developmental years and later life experiences.

I don't believe you can suddenly teach someone to have it. Maybe it could be taught to simulate empathy or teach the principal's of it but doubt they can truly develop or feel it within themselves.

I think it can
But harder for some

In most cases it is a trait aquired over time. Some people will never develop it.

Yes, any good or bad thing can be learned. it depends on, what people in that society largely practice.

That’s an interesting question. I tend to think it’s a seed we’re born with but must be watered to make it grow. 🙂

perhaps .. some people teach hate.. why not sympathy?

True empathy? I lean toward you have it instinctively or not. I do think that by experiencing something others go through ourselves would definitely make us more sympathetic to the said people experiencing the same at any given time. I think of empathy as feeling the hurt the one suffering feels… and believe me our hearts ‘can’ ache because of others hurting…

well, i never had it, don;t want it, iwill never learn it

I've met a couple of older adults who said they used to be bullies or used to make fun of others. So something in life happened to lead them to change. It was anges ago so I don't remember their stories.

I do remember being surprised

Ooohhh just the other day I met an ex gang member. Getting shot by one of the leaders made him turn his life around

Absolutely. I believe it's learned in the first place. We're like little wild animals when we're born.

But having empathy causes people to take advantage of you sometimes you can’t be too empathetic especially in medicine

I am getting set to take a three part course in empathy starting this fall and continuing over the winter so I guess your answer is Yes. 🤷‍♂

Wouldn't be normal, but possible. I think it could become gradually more and more possible, if one is consecutively making better choices, putting them into situations where it'll be easier for them to discover how it's done.

For some people I'd think it is possible

I don't know but there are theories that it gets stronger in people who have small children, allegedly both men and women. So it might depend on hormones people's bodies release. If someone's got some defect in that particular system, it's possible that they are completely incapable of empathy altogether.

I’ve no idea but I do know there are an awful lot of sociopaths and psychopaths around these days 🙂

No, it's a emotion and i don;t believe emotions can be learned. I'm sure some people learn to fake it, though. Psychopaths are good at faking normal reactions.

Yes

Yes