+
More

In 2017, there’s one resolution we can all try to keep: empathy.

True
Hallmark

A magical thing will happen at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1. ‌

It's a whole brand-new year! All images via iStock.

It happens every year, but seeing that new calendar with 365 days yet to be filled is always inspiring and exciting.


Many of us will resolve to spend the next 12 months getting fit, taking more time outside, budgeting better, or traveling more. For the first few months, we'll probably keep it up, too. But over time, life will creep in, and resolutions will break down. The reality: Only about 8% of people actually manage to achieve their New Year's resolutions.

But in 2017, there's one resolution we all have the power to make — and keep.

We can resolve to be more empathetic — to try to understand the feelings and experiences of others as if they were our own. It is one of the most important skills we can learn.

Over the past year in particular, it has become clear that Americans disagree about a lot of issues. While it can be easy to assume we are irreparably divided, that's only true if we believe it.

This photo is adorable, but you don't have to start young to begin to understand empathy.

Humans are biologically and emotionally hardwired to care about others. In the last 20 years, scientists have observed portions of the human brain that light up with neural activity when we see people experiencing pain or emotions that we have experienced before. Scientists have also discovered that there's an entire part of the brain — the anterior insular cortex — that's wired to reward decision-making that helps cultivate positive emotional experiences.

But how do we actively incorporate this caring for others into our lives? Perhaps the easiest way is through another metaphor. Think of empathy as a muscle. If we don't use it, it gets weaker. If we exercise it regularly, it becomes more powerful.

Here are a few ways we can all make empathy one of our resolutions in 2017.

The first step is easy: Just listen more.

1. Actively seek out people who look at the world differently than you do.

If social media tells us anything, there are a lot of different opinions about how the world should be run. But instead of reflexively hitting the block or mute button, consider engaging people with compassion and understanding. Ask questions and approach situations with calmness and an open heart. It may not change your mind (or theirs), but you might start to understand and appreciate why they feel the way they do.

2. Experience the world of a disadvantaged social group.

Volunteering is a gift, and it goes both ways.

Research shows that seeing the world through the eyes of marginalized or stigmatized social groups makes us more empathetic. That in turn makes us more likely to want to help others. Why not volunteer at a homeless shelter or a center for battered women or LGBTQ youth? You'll learn about their lives, and maybe a little more about yourself, too.

3. Learn more about religious groups of which you are not a member.

According to a 2014 Pew Research study, 76% of Americans consider themselves religious. Even if you aren't religious yourself, making an effort to understand how believers of a specific faith see the world can be eye-opening and enlightening.

4. Confront your own biases and examine why you have them.

Peer-reviewed academic studies have showed that being empathetic can reduce racism and prejudice. In the spirit of self-improvement, take some time to think about any specific biases or preconceptions you have about groups or social issues. Write them down and consider them seriously. Are they new or something learned from childhood? How can you change them and move on? Think about concrete steps you can take, from seeing a counsellor or a therapist to simply reading more. Be kind to yourself, but fair.

5. Expand your perspectives and challenge your beliefs.

First impressions aren't always right. Sometimes it's good to get to know people a little before making up your mind about them.

Comfort zones have their name for a good reason. They're cozy, warm, and safe. But they're also limiting. If we're serious about repairing social rifts in our society, we need to be open to having hard conversations around contentious issues. Things may get awkward and uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

Ultimately, empathy is like the real-life version of those annoying internet ads from the early 2010s — it is the "one weird cure" for so many of the social problems we find ourselves facing today.

In 2017, let's all commit to embracing empathy.

Empathy has the capacity to be transformative — potentially on a world scale. All it takes is our resolve and commitment. May we all find that in ourselves in 2017!

Sponsored

ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

True

If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

Keep ReadingShow less

Karlie Smith shows the meal she's bringing to the restaurant for her son.

A mom who admitted she packs her 2-year-old a meal when they go out to dinner has started an interesting debate on TikTok about restaurant etiquette and how it applies to young children.

The video posted by Ohio mom, Karlie Smith (unbreakablemomma on TikTok), has received nearly 600,000 views and has over 1,850 comments.

“Call me cheap, call me whatever, but if we’re going out to a restaurant, I’m packing my kid a meal," Smith, 21, said in her post. "I do this for many reasons. On Friday nights, my family and I get together, and tonight, we’re getting food out. My son is not getting food out.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Man rewatches shows from his childhood and his recaps of the bonkers storylines are priceless

Rob Anderson's hilarious recaps of shows like "Mighty Ducks," "Beethoven," and "7th Heaven" might make you wonder how they got made in the first place.

@hearthrobert/TikTok

These plots makes zero sense.

While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.

And so, what do we do with these problematic pieces of old-school pop culture? Well, we can certainly update them to better reflect a more modern attitude, but that also comes with a set of potential problems. Or we could simply never watch them again. Certainly an option given all the content out there. But then we might miss an opportunity to better understand what seemed to work for the mainstream then, and why it doesn’t work now.

And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.

That’s certainly the route taken by Rob Anderson. Over on TikTok, Anderson has taken ultra-popular movies and television shows from his childhood and given them hilarious recaps capturing how absurd some of the storylines are.
Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

18-year-old took her college savings and bought the restaurant where she was a dishwasher

Samantha Frye, the newest owner of Rosalie's restaurant, is proving there's more than one way to invest in your future.

Canva

There are many way to invest in your future

Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.

Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.

After graduating high school, Frye started college at Ohio State with plans of studying business or environmental engineering. But when she came back to work a shift at Rosalie’s for winter break, an opportunity arose—the owners had planned to sell the restaurant.
Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Woman decides that she is the love of her life and marries herself at her retirement home

“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not?”

77-year-old woman decides she's the love of her life and marries herself.

We joke about marrying ourselves or a platonic friend if some arbitrary amount of time has passed without a proposal from an imaginary suitor. And sure, some people do wind up marrying a friend in more of a business arrangement, but it's not very common that someone follows through with marrying themselves.

Dorothy "Dottie" Fideli, decided that she was going to break the mold. The 77-year-old sat down and thought about all of the things she had done in life and who was with her the entire time cheering her on. It was an easy answer: herself. She was her biggest cheerleader, the person who always showed up and the love of her life, so Fideli made the plan to marry herself.

On a beautiful May day, friends and family gathered in the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community, where Fideli is a resident, to witness the ceremony.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

12-year-old Texas girl saves her family from carbon monoxide poisoning

She knew something was wrong with her mom and brother, which wound up saving her whole family.

Fort Worth 12-year-old helps save family from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is called a silent killer for a reason. Many people don't realize they're experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning before it's too late. The gas is colorless and odorless and tends to have a sedating effect that causes people to sleep through the fatal poisoning. Having carbon monoxide detectors is one of the most effective ways to identify the gas before it's too late to get out of the house, but not every home has one.

A little girl in Fort Worth, Texas, experienced a terrifying encounter with the deadly gas, but her quick actions saved her entire family. Jaziyah Parker is being held up as a hero after she realized something was wrong with her family members and called for help.

The girl called 911 after she noticed her mom pass out. On the call with the dispatcher, Jaziyah says she thinks her mother has died before explaining that there was something now wrong with her baby brother, who was just 5-months-old.

Keep ReadingShow less

Drew Barrymore speaks during the FLOWER Beauty launch at Westfield Parramatta on April 13, 2019, in Sydney, Australia.

Drew Barrymore, 48, has been in the public consciousness since she starred as Gertie in 1982’s mega-blockbuster, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. So, it makes sense that many people of a certain age feel as if they’ve grown up with her.

Barrymore has consistently starred in hit films and movies that are rewatchable cable-TV staples, such as “Charlie's Angels” (2000), “Never Been Kissed” (1999), “Scream” (1996), “The Wedding Singer” (1998), “50 First Dates” (2004) and “Fever Pitch” (2005).

Now, she’s an even more significant part of people’s lives as the host of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which runs every weekday on CBS. So far, the show has been a big success, attracting an average of 1.21 million views per show, and ranks as the #4 talk show in syndication. It was recently renewed through the 2024 season.

Keep ReadingShow less