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Empathy Quotes

Browse 3172 quotes about Empathy.

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Empathy Quotes

“Stories require voices to speak them and ears to hear them. (..) Often, the problem isn't with the voices (..), voices are frequently there - singing, screaming, yearning to be heard - but we don't hear them because fear and blame muffle the sounds. (p. 41, 42)”

WomenCompassionCourageEmpathyShame
Book:I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame
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“Leadership begins with the courage to believe in a better future and the commitment to make it happen." "A leader inspires not by words alone, but by living the values they wish to see in others." "True leaders don’t just create followers; they cultivate more leaders." "Effective leadership is about creating an environment where people feel safe to express themselves and innovate." "Leadership is not a title but a series of actions rooted in accountability and trust." "A great leader balances strength with humility, authority with empathy." "Leaders see beyond obstacles; they envision possibilities and guide others towards them." "Leadership is knowing when to take the lead and when to step back, allowing others to shine." "In moments of crisis, true leaders rise with resilience, guiding their teams through uncertainty." "The essence of leadership is empowering others to discover their own potential and purpose.”

InspirationLeadershipVisionCourageIntegrityEmpathyEmpowermentInnovationResilienceAccountability
Author:Vorng Panha
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“Leadership is not about having all the answers but about asking the right questions." "A leader’s strength is measured by their ability to stay true to their values, even in adversity." "True leaders lead from the heart, balancing empathy with action." "Leadership is about setting a vision that stretches the imagination and inspires others to reach for it." "The best leaders don’t just motivate; they ignite a passion that fuels lasting change." "Leadership is not about control; it’s about giving others the freedom to find their own path to success." "A great leader knows when to take the spotlight and when to step aside so others can shine." "Leadership is the art of seeing what others can't and guiding them toward what they never thought possible." "To lead is to bring out the best in others by challenging them to go beyond their comfort zones." "True leadership isn’t found in moments of ease but in how one navigates challenges with integrity and resilience.”

InspirationCommunityLeadershipVisionCourageInfluenceEmpathyInnovationAuthenticityService
Author:Vorng Panha
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“Meeting people whose life trajectories were so different from my own enlarged my way of thinking. Outside the school, arguments over refugees were raging, but the time I had spent inside this building showed me that those conversations were based on phantasms. People were debating their own fears. What I had witnessed taking place inside this school every day revealed the rhetoric for what it was: more propaganda than fact. Donald Trump appeared to believe his own assertions, but I hoped that in the years to come, more people would be able to recognize refugees for who they really were: simply the most vulnerable people on earth. Inside this school, where the reality of refugee resettlement was enacted every day, it was plain to see that seeking a new home took tremendous courage. And receiving those who had been displaced involved tremendous generosity. That’s what refugee resettlement was, I decided. Acts of courage met by acts of generosity. Despite how fear-based the national conversation had turned, there was nothing scary about what was happening at South. Getting to know the newcomer students had deepened my own life, and watching Mr. Williams work with all twenty-two of them at once with so much grace, dexterity, sensitivity, and affection had provided me with daily inspiration. I would even say that spending a year in room 142 had allowed me to witness something as close to holy as I’ve seen take place between human beings. I could only wish that in time, more people would be able to look past their fear of the stranger and experience the wonder of getting to know people from other parts of the globe. For as far as I could tell, the world was not going to stop producing refugees. The plain, irreducible fact of good people being made nomad by the millions through all the kinds of horror this world could produce seemed likely to prove the central moral challenge of our times. How did we want to meet that challenge? We could fill our hearts with fear or with hope. And the choice would affect more than just our own dispositions, for in choosing which seeds to sow, we would dictate the type of harvest. Surely the only harvest worth cultivating was the one Mr. Williams had been seeking: greater fluency, better understanding.”

FearUnderstandingEducationCourageLearningEmpathyGenerosityRefugeesLanguage LearningLanguages And Culture
Book:The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom
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“We are often taught that strength means unyielding determination, staunch opinions, and unbreakable resolve. ... Softness does not mean weakness. It means being open to change, receptive to others, and compassionate toward ourselves. ... A rigid mindset might break under unexpected pressure; a flexible one bends and recovers . ... Like bamboo in the wind, soft strength bends but does not break”

CompassionStrengthEmpathyResilienceVulnerabilityOpennessFlexibilityAdaptationGentlenessSoftness
Author:Ajmal, from the book "Borders of the Inner World"
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“Kindness is often mistaken for weakness. ... Yet true kindness requires strength. It asks us to step beyond our own concerns and notice the needs of others. It calls for patience when we are impatient, generosity when we feel scarce, and compassion when we are hurt. ... Kindness is not naive; it is a conscious choice..”

CharacterHumanityCompassionKindnessStrengthEmpathyPatienceGenerosityChoiceGentleness
Author:Ajmal, from the book "Borders of the Inner World"
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“It’s important that what thoughts you are feeding into your mind because your thoughts create your belief and experiences. You have positive thoughts and you have negative ones too. Nurture your mind with positive thoughts: kindness, empathy, compassion, peace, love, joy, humility, generosity, etc. The more you feed your mind with positive thoughts, the more you can attract great things into your life.”

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Book:The Light in the Heart
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“Beware trying to iron out all your quirks, perceived flaws and doubts. It's often these things that help you find strength, compassion, empathy for others and heart.”

Inspirational QuotesMotivational QuotesCompassionBeautyCourageStrengthSelf EsteemSelf LoveEmpathyFaultsPersonal DevelopmentSelf RespectInner StrengthDisabilityInspiring QuotesLove YourselfCourage QuotesBeauty QuotesOvercoming AdversityFearsStrength Through AdversitySelf BeliefSelf Love QuotesStrength Of CharacterOvercoming Adversity QuotesRasheed Ogunlaru QuotesSelf Esteem QuotesInner Strength QuotesRasheed OgunlaruQuirksDoubtsPersonal Development QuotesImperfectionsDoubt QuotesLove Yourself QuotesDisability QuotesSelf Belief QuotesImperfection Quotes
Author:Rasheed Ogunlaru
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“Not everyone is well-equipped to share your burden, And it's OK . . . Not everyone is receptive enough to bask in your light, And it's OK . . . Not everyone is psychic enough to understand your silence, And it's OK . . . Not everyone is crazy enough to associate with your passion, And it's OK . . . Not everyone is blessed enough to live your dreams, And it's OK . . . Not everyone is dark enough to cast in your nightmares, And it's OK . . . If everyone is meant to be a friend, Why, then, does the word 'enemy' exist? If everyone cares, How, then, do you understand indifference? Trying to make everyone 'see' the way you see just brings about enough heartbreak and conflict. *The latter is absolutely necessary sometimes :D* Even if you have to do so for a worthy cause, LOVE should be your watchword.”

LoveSilenceEnemyDreamsFriendsEmpathyBurdenLight And DarknessEmpathy For Others
Author:Ufuoma Apoki
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“The saddest thing about me? It's not that I've been hurt. It's not even that people left. It's that if someone who broke me texted me tomorrow asking for help I'd reply. I'd care. I'd show up. Even if they disappeared. Even if they didn't check if I made it out alive. Even if they chose silence when I needed saving. I'd still answer. Not because they deserve it. But because that's just who I am. And sometimes, being that person feels like the loneliest thing in the world.”

HealingKindnessHeartbreakEmpathyForgiveness
Book:I carried me here
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“I think the people who've felt the most unwanted are the ones who try the hardest to make others feel wanted. they know what silence feels like. what being misunderstood feels like. what it feels like to be chosen last. so when they love, they don’t do it halfway. they love like it’s the only thing holding the world together. they remember birthdays, favorite songs, the way your voice changes when you’re trying not to cry. they show up. every time. and even though they’ve been hurt more than they can explain, they still believe love is worth giving. even if it isn’t always returned.”

FeelingsPoetryHeartbreakEmpathyResilience
Book:I carried me here
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“To get out of that quicksand, she needed validation, and she sought it the most in the world than anything else. Every time someone she knew passed by and looked at her, she would say everything that led her to get stuck in that quicksand. And every time someone blamed her for getting stuck or would just pass away without acknowledging her story, the quicksand consumed her a bit more.”

LoveHeartbreakEmpathyDisappointmentHelpValidationSheQuicksand
Book:Reflections in a Shattered Mirror
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“Half of the time, the Holy Ghost tries to warn us about certain people that come into our life. The other half of the time he tries to tell us that the sick feeling we get in a situation is not the other person’s fault, rather it is our own hang-ups. A life filled with bias, hatred, judgment, insecurity, fear, delusion and self-righteousness can cloud the soul of anyone you meet. Our job is never to assume,instead it is to listen, communicate, ask questions then ask more, until we know the true depth of someone’s spirit.”

LoveChildrenChoicesFearRelationshipsAnswersCompassionFamilyChristianitySeeingCommunicationListeningFriendsAnxietyEmpathyJesus ChristDatingSeekingMental IllnessMothersNew YearBiasHomelessSistersQuestionsSermonsSeekersHoly GhostListenFamily MembersFathersStrangersFirst ImpressionsBrothersSelf RighteousnessChristmas SpiritBrainwashedNew PerspectiveResolutionsBenefit Of The DoubtDelusionsReaching OutMental DisordersChurch MembersKnowing SomeoneSpirtualEternal TruthsPromptingsRelgionAquaintancesNot SeeingPersepctiveExfamilyForgiving FamilyForgiving FriendsForgiving SistersWrong Impresssions
Author:Shannon L. Alder
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“Never sever ties with a family member you once loved. Each of you might be on different spiritual paths, but both trails are leading you home.”

LoveReligionFaithChoicesHealingCompassionFamilyLearningLessonsEmpathyTestsForgivingIllnessTrialsRedemptionObedienceWellnessSistersBlessingsMisunderstandingRestoringFightsMendingRepairingMental DisordersLoss Of FamilySpiritual JourneysSpiritual PathsNever Or ForeverFamily S Our ForeverLoss Of Sister
Author:Shannon L. Alder
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“We are, or rather our natural desire to evade pain and to attain pleasure is, the primary reason we do or say every single thing we do or say.”

PhilosophyHumorPainMotivationHumanityPleasureCompassionHumourEmpathyMercyCharityPhilosopherSelfishSelfishnessMotiveSatireSympathyGenesSelflessAltruismSelflessnessUnselfishSatiristUnselfishnessTeresaMotivesNelson MandelaGenieSocial CriticismMandelaGeneMother TeresaGhandiMahatma Ghandi
Book:The Selfish Genie: A Satirical Essay on Altruism
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“The pleasure or the benefit that the object of our deed derives from it is every now and then greater or even more important than the one we derive from the deed.”

PhilosophyHumorHumanityPleasureCompassionHumourEmpathyAdvantageMercyCharityPhilosopherSelfishSelfishnessSatireSympathyGenesSelflessAltruismSelflessnessUnselfishSatiristUnselfishnessTeresaBenefitNelson MandelaGenieSocial CriticismObjectMandelaGeneMother TeresaGhandiMahatma Ghandi
Book:The Selfish Genie: A Satirical Essay on Altruism
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“Boys are suffering, in the modern world. They are more disobedient—negatively—or more independent—positively—than girls, and they suffer for this, throughout their pre-university educational career. They are less agreeable (agreeableness being a personality trait associated with compassion, empathy and avoidance of conflict) and less susceptible to anxiety and depression,172 at least after both sexes hit puberty.173 Boys’ interests tilt towards things; girls’ Boys are suffering, in the modern world. They are more disobedient—negatively—or more independent—positively—than girls, and they suffer for this, throughout their pre-university educational career. They are less agreeable (agreeableness being a personality trait associated with compassion, empathy and avoidance of conflict) and less susceptible to anxiety and depression,172 at least after both sexes hit puberty.173 Boys’ interests tilt towards things; girls”

CompassionBoysDepressionEmpathyGirlsSex Differences
Book:12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
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“Females and boys are the only creatures that propose others for friendship. As for the rest of us, friendship sort of just happens.”

MenPhilosophyHumorHumanityGirlFriendshipCompassionBoysHumourEmpathyFemaleMercyCharityMalesPhilosopherSelfishManSelfishnessSatireGirlsSympathyGenesSelflessAltruismSelflessnessProposalProposeFriendshipsMaleUnselfishBoySatiristUnselfishnessTeresaFemalesNelson MandelaGenieSocial CriticismMandelaGeneMother TeresaGhandiMahatma Ghandi
Book:The Selfish Genie: A Satirical Essay on Altruism
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“Now do you understand why I'm interested in you? You're a locked door, sweetheart. You give no one a key and you never answer the door when anyone knocks...Ah, but sometimes, sometimes I get a peek through the keyhole and what I find there...It's like glimpsing you as you're stripping. Underneath all of that darkness is something hungry, something desperate, something, oh, so deliciously vulnerable.”

DesireGayEmpathyLustMm
Book:Fearless Leader
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“You're so cynical," Tiny says, waving his hand at me. "I'm not cynical, Tiny," I answer. "I'm practical." "You're a robot," he says. Tiny thinks that I am incapable of what humans call emotion because I have not cried since my seventh birthday, when I saw the movie All Dogs Go to Heaven. I suppose I should have known from the title that it wouldn't end merrily, but in my defense, I was seven. Anyway, I haven't cried since then. I don't really understand the point of crying. Also, I feel that crying is almost--like, aside from deaths of relatives or whatever-- totally avoidable if you follow two very simple rules: 1. Don't care too much. 2. Shut up. Everything unfortunate that has ever happened to me has stemmed from failure to follow one of the rules.”

EmotionEmpathyCynicismRobot
Book:Will Grayson, Will Grayson
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“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused - a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love - then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.”

ChildrenGrowthEmotionEmpathyAwe
Book:The Sense of Wonder
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“Ah! candid and unadulterated mind! you have learned early to reflect; but take care lest this habit, hitherto so well applied, should totally unfit you for society. It will strew thorns in your path, while other young women of your age seek only flowers. By imagining yourself in the place of others, as you now continually do, you will learn to feel for all the unhappy, or even for those who appear so; whereas it might save a great deal of (for the most part useless) pain, if you could contrive to feel only for yourself.”

CarePainHappinessEmotionEmpathyConcern
Book:Marchmont: A Novel
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“Humans pursuing deep, complete connections respond to quite different incentives from those that influence self-interested utility maximizers. Rewards, monitoring, and punishments are less likely to be effective than engagement, communication, norms, socialization, identity, and common purpose. They share not out of a calculation of reciprocity but from a psychological pleasure in sharing. Those seeking connections make decisions from their hearts as well as their heads, influenced by emotion, fairness, empathy, and intuition. Their behavior, thoughts, feelings, and even personal attributes are highly socially contingent. The range of humanity includes individuals who display every possible combination of selfishness and sociability.”

EmotionIdentityCommunicationEmpathyIntuitionEngagementFairnessSocializationCommon PurposeNorms
Book:The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World
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