When we hear a story of our depressed friend or watch someone who is in despair like parents suffering to see their cheerful first child dying of cancer we tried to put ourselves into their shoes to show our concern, care, and desire to help. And being empathetic is part of being a human however, according to research, empathy may be hazardous to health.

When we step into a suffering person's perspective the feelings became too real and burdensome for us. Imagining their dark painful experiences triggers our fight-or-flight response as if we are threatened. Over time, this physiological response elevates the stress hormone, cortisol level, and we commonly know that chronic stress could lead to health problems like cardiovascular diseases. Also, the neural activity of a person we are empathizing with shows similar activation in our brains also. Their pain, anxiety, or depression became part of our problems as if we experienced what they have been through.

However, researchers do not suggest that we should become a psychopath, not empathizing other people, instead, they stated that it is better to practice sympathizing or being compassionate towards others. We should not imagine what they experienced but imagine their feelings where we can respond well as if we are facing a manageable challenge. We should rather feel sorry for them without understanding every tragic situation they have been in. For our own health, we should choose the more rational emotion, compassion.

Also, it is the reason why doctors, nurses, and caregivers must not empathize with their patients but not to the point that they should act like a robot by suppressing their emotions. No. But rather choose the right kind of response.