Wellbeing Space

The “E” in ERIC: The Importance of Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and care about how someone else is feeling—and it’s one of the most powerful life skills a teen can develop. In a world of fast messages, fierce opinions and online detachment, empathy teaches young people to pause, consider others and connect meaningfully. It helps them navigate friendships, resolve conflict, support peers and grow into kind, emotionally intelligent adults.

Parents can encourage empathy by modelling it at home—naming feelings, asking curious questions (like “How do you think they felt?”) and praising moments of kindness. When teens learn to tune into others without losing themselves, they become stronger communicators, better friends and more grounded in who they are.

“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.”

—Alfred Adler

Ms Melinda Evangelista (Senior School)

Dr Susana De Oliveira (Senior School)

Ms Sheleen Davis (Junior School)