About this episode

The episode explores the concept of empathy as a skill that can be developed, featuring insights from psychologist Jamil Zaki and listener questions answered by Leslie John.

Some people are good at putting themselves in another person's shoes. Others may struggle to relate. But psychologist Jamil Zaki argues that empathy isn't a fixed trait. This week, we revisit a favorite episode about how to exercise our empathy muscles. Then, Leslie John answers listener questions about the benefits of opening up to others, in our latest installment of Your Questions Answered.

People in this episode

Host: Shankar Vedantam

Guests: Jamil Zaki, Leslie John

Topics covered

• empathy
• psychology
• human behavior
• listener questions
• social connection

Keywords

• empathy
• psychologist
• Jamil Zaki
• Leslie John
• human connection
• social skills
• listener questions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hidden Brain

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