The hottest Empathy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

Your highlights of 2023, and overcoming helplessness in 2024

Granted • 7427 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Empathy Compassion Self-Improvement Personal Growth
  1. Compassion involves acknowledging distress even if you can't solve it, helping people feel seen.
  2. Top 10 links of 2023 included topics like the effective use of language, email etiquette, and cultural communication differences.
  3. Podcasts on bringing out positivity in kids, unlocking hidden potential, recharging on weekends, and building leadership skills.

Friday Reflection 35: Why Don’t Doctors Want to See Patients?

Sensible Medicine • 2987 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Burnout Responsibility Empathy
  1. Being a doctor is a challenging and high-stress job, dealing with patients and their families every day.
  2. The responsibility of being a doctor means always needing to perform at your best, even on bad days.
  3. Doctors often feel overwhelmed by the limitations in fixing the underlying societal issues that contribute to their patients' health problems.

What explains the outsized success of autistic applicants to college

Penelope Trunk's Substack • 2 HN points • 25 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Autism Mental health Neurodiversity Empathy
  1. OCD can lead to inventive success, offering fulfillment through consistency and trial-and-error problem solving.
  2. ADHD can result in hyperfocus on interesting topics, which is valued by top colleges seeking specialist applicants.
  3. Dyslexia can lead to information-driven learning style, allowing autistic individuals to excel in academia by quickly grasping and utilizing information to share ideas.
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The Insidious Lie That We Can’t Understand Each Other

After Babel • 2074 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🚌 Education Philosophy Politics Identity Empathy Solidarity
  1. Identity trap ideologies suggest we can't understand each other, but it's important to challenge this notion.
  2. Standpoint theory emphasizes empathizing with oppressed groups, but it may not effectively guide political action.
  3. To argue against the identity trap, take concerns seriously, show why the ideology may fail, and propose a more noble path forward.

The Profile Dossier: Amaryllis Fox, the ex-CIA agent performing the most clandestine operations

The Profile • 2279 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Influence Empathy Conflict resolution Authenticity Humanity
  1. Amaryllis Fox emphasized the importance of listening to disarm the enemy.
  2. Fox highlighted the power of relationships and in-person interactions for understanding people's fears and motivations.
  3. Fox stressed the significance of recognizing each other's humanity and finding common ground through empathy and respect.

Lessons from The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro

Dwarkesh Patel • 1592 implied HN points • 03 May 23
📚 Literature Biography Power Manipulation Empathy Influence
  1. To succeed, go beyond the norm and do everything necessary with intensity and attention to detail.
  2. Ambition can lead to unexpected alliances and outcomes as seen in the political career of Lyndon Johnson.
  3. Understanding and reading people is key in wielding power and influence, as exemplified by Johnson's ability to empathize and manipulate for his goals.

When (and how) do we debate vaccine science?

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1224 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Debates Misinformation Empathy Communication
  1. Debating vaccine science can create false equivalence and be time-consuming and dangerous.
  2. Live debates can prioritize charm over data and lead to logical fallacies and dead-end discussions.
  3. Some debates are worthwhile when participants are open to changing their minds and when the subject matter is not politically or religiously polarized.

Two too many atrocities,...how many more?

History's Parrot • 78 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Journalism Narratives Truth Empathy
  1. The importance of sharing critical insights and information from independent journalists like Alastair Crooke to combat lies and tyrannies.
  2. The impact of 'win narratives' on empathy, active listening, and communication between states, as highlighted by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
  3. The necessity to reflect on existence and societal decay in current times of turmoil and assault on societal pillars.

ChatGPT is capable of cognitive empathy!

Nonzero Newsletter • 564 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Empathy Language Models Artificial General Intelligence Machine Learning
  1. ChatGPT-4 shows a capacity for cognitive empathy, understanding others' perspectives.
  2. The AI developed this empathetic ability without intentional design, showing potential for spontaneous emergence of human-like skills.
  3. GPT models demonstrate cognitive empathy comparable to young children, evolving through versions to manage complex emotional and cognitive interactions.

Why Belonging Matters to our Health & Well-being

Are You Okay? • 419 implied HN points • 27 Dec 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Belonging Inclusion Empathy Self-compassion
  1. Belonging involves feeling accepted and welcomed, while inclusion is about incorporating excluded individuals. Belonging is an emotional aspect compared to inclusion, which is more action-oriented.
  2. Feeling accepted and supported contributes to confidence and healthier habits. Conversely, exclusion and lack of belonging can lead to negative emotional impacts like anxiety and depression.
  3. Simple steps to help those struggling with belonging include active listening without interruption, empathizing with others, allowing space for people to share without immediately trying to fix their problems, and accepting individuals as they are.

Leading with Empathy

The Future CEO • 1 HN point • 11 Apr 24
💼 Business Leadership Workplace dynamics Empathy Management Professional development
  1. Understanding how to ask for help and support others in the workplace is crucial to building a positive culture.
  2. There are diverse reasons individuals seek help, from coping with pressures to fostering a sense of belonging and support.
  3. True support extends beyond technical problem-solving; it involves active listening, empathy, and understanding unique perspectives to provide meaningful help.

Review: "Brandon Sanderson Is Your God" by Wired

coldhealing • 255 implied HN points • 25 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Fantasy Journalism Literature Critique Empathy
  1. The article criticizes popular fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson for his perceived lack of depth in his works and personal life.
  2. The Wired article attacks Sanderson's character through ad hominem attacks rather than engaging with his literary merit.
  3. There is a comparison with a YouTube video that provides better journalism and artistic exploration than the Wired article.

Influence through Connection

Perspectives • 10 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Relationships Self-Improvement Empathy Communication
  1. Focus on connecting with others rather than just being right. Convince through building relationships.
  2. Utilize affinity bias by finding common ground with others to create connections. Small shared interests can make a big difference in building bridges.
  3. Seek common ground and focus on mutual success to overcome conflicts and enhance relationships. Emphasize understanding the other party's incentives and goals.

AI as the Worst Parasocial Relationship

From the New World • 177 implied HN points • 06 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Social media Empathy Artificial Intelligence
  1. AI can displace problems with lesser problems in various aspects of life, including machine learning and relationships.
  2. AI's ability to mass-produce intimate relationships raises concerns, but similar issues already exist in politics and media.
  3. AI's impact on empathy and parasocial relationships leads to discussions on societal values and preferences for real vs. artificial connections.

Boredom and its discontents

The Leftovers • 99 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Empathy
  1. Boredom can lead individuals to engage in risky or extreme behaviors, as seen in the historical case of Frantisek Kotzwara's death from erotic asphyxiation.
  2. The public's interest in rescue stories transcends socio-economic status, showing that people are captivated by tales of survival and heroism.
  3. Exploration and adventure often come with a price tag, with the wealthy having more access to risky endeavors, highlighting the intersection of boredom, money, and the drive for thrilling experiences.

🦾 Deepfakes, Empathy & OpenAI Updates

HackerPulse Dispatch • 5 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Deepfakes Empathy OpenAI Memory
  1. OpenAI disrupted five state-affiliated malicious actors exploiting AI services, demonstrating a commitment to ethical AI.
  2. ImplicitDeepfake1 merges deepfake tech with Neural Radiance Fields and Gaussian Splatting for advanced 3D avatar creation and gaming.
  3. LAION introduced BUD-E, an AI assistant focusing on real-time responses with natural voice, empathy, & emotional intelligence.