empathy fatigue
English translation: compassion fatigue (switching off and losing ability to empathise)
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| 15:39 Feb 13, 2018 |
| English language (monolingual) [PRO] Social Sciences - Psychology | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Yvonne Gallagher Ireland Local time: 18:05 | ||||||
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| 4 +3 | compassion fatigue |
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| 3 | Mental/emotional fatigue caused by intuiting/sensing the emotional states of others |
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| Discussion entries: 4 | |
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Answers
1 hr confidence: 
Mental/emotional fatigue caused by intuiting/sensing the emotional states of others Explanation: I think your second suggestion is more accurate - that one can feel depleted themselves from intuiting/sensing/feeling the emotional states of others. If we became so fatigued by empathising that we couldn't do it anymore, we'd all be in serious trouble 😀 |
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3 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
peer agreement (net): +3compassion fatigue Explanation: I think it is more commonly known as compassion fatigue...after seeing so much suffering and hearing so many sad stories all the time (especially if working in the area or helping with refugees etc.) means that you may eventually just switch off and just lose your ability to empathise...appearing to be cold or hard hearted. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 hrs (2018-02-13 19:07:44 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- here's an article about it https://hbr.org/2016/01/the-limits-of-empathy Problem #1: It’s exhausting. Like heavy-duty cognitive tasks, such as keeping multiple pieces of information in mind at once or avoiding distractions in a busy environment, empathy depletes our mental resources. So jobs that require constant empathy can lead to “compassion fatigue,” an acute inability to empathize that’s driven by stress, and burnout, a more gradual and chronic version of this phenomenon.... People who work for charities and other nonprofits (think animal shelters) are similarly at risk. Voluntary turnover is exceedingly high, in part because of the empathically demanding nature of the work; low pay exacerbates the element of self-sacrifice. What’s more, society’s strict views of how nonprofits should operate mean they face a backlash when they act like businesses (for instance, investing in “overhead” to keep the organization running smoothly). They’re expected to thrive through selfless outpourings of compassion from workers...Problem #2: It’s zero-sum. Empathy doesn’t just drain energy and cognitive resources—it also depletes itself. The more empathy I devote to my spouse, the less I have left for my mother; the more I give to my mother, the less I can give my son. Both our desire to be empathic and the effort it requires are in limited supply, whether we’re dealing with family and friends or customers and colleagues... Problem #3: It can erode ethics. Finally, empathy can cause lapses in ethical judgment. We saw some of that in the study about terrorists. In many cases, though, the problem stems not from aggression toward outsiders but, rather, from extreme loyalty toward insiders. In making a focused effort to see and feel things the way people who are close to us do, we may take on their interests as our own. This can make us more willing to overlook transgressions or even behave badly ourselves. etc... -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 hrs (2018-02-13 19:08:35 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassion_fatigue -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 hrs (2018-02-13 19:09:39 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/compassion fatigue -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 hrs (2018-02-13 19:14:32 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Haribert, yes I came to that conclusion instantly. Now I see Tony sees it the same way. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 23 hrs (2018-02-14 14:52:45 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- your link says "some psychologists are starting to argue that the term should be changed to “empathy fatigue" but really, I believe the two expressions mean the same thing in effect. I for one have not seen "empathy fatigue" (15, 500 Ghits) very often but then "compassion fatigue" has 830,000 Ghits. This is the definition by the person who coined the term "empathy fatigue". Rather touchy-feely, New Age "shamanic practices, references to native merican practices etc.)! http://ct.counseling.org/2013/01/qa-empathy-fatigue/ -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 23 hrs (2018-02-14 14:53:46 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- oops (native) American! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 days (2018-02-19 13:41:59 GMT) Post-grading -------------------------------------------------- Glad to have helped |
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