Empathy Test - Suomen Pakolaisapu

Your neighbour is ranting about his political beliefs. You find them ridiculous. What do you do?*

I try to understand my neighbour’s point of view.
I focus on planning my counterargument to prove my neighbour wrong.
I politely explain my point of view.

It is worth trying to understand another person, even if you disagree with them. You can do this by genuinely listening to them.

You read a news story about the challenges immigrants face when learning the local language. What are you thinking?*

I’m thinking all the challenges people may face when they are learning a language.
That I’d learn a language more easily – how hard can it be?
I’m remembering the challenges I have faced when learning a language.

Imagining yourself in someone else’s shoes can help you to understand them. You can get even deeper if you try to think how the person in question feels in this situation. Empathy is also about understanding differences between people.

You are sitting in a tram and witness a passenger shouting angry insults to another. What do you do?*

I pretend not to notice.
I immediately go and talk to the passenger who is being insulted. I ask is they’re okay.
I tell the driver about the incident.

Helping a person in trouble is an important act of empathy. You may have a chat with them and ask if they’re ok. By doing this, you’re showing your support to the person attacked. And ignoring the bully may lead them to stop. In this way, you’re showing your support to the person who is bullied, and take the attention away from the bully, which might make them stop. You can also ask for help from the driver or the police. If you feel there’s nothing you can during the attack, you can show your support afterwards.

How often do you stop to think, why you feel more compassion towards certain people, and less towards others? For instance, you might find some news stories about people’s experiences more touching than others.*

Occasionally
Rarely or never
Often

We all experience empathy, but it’s often easiest to empathize with people close to us or like us. Reflecting the limits of your empathy is a good starting point for widening your circle of empathy.

Your friend is heartbroken and sad. How do you react?*

My friend is sad – I feel sad as well.
I worry about my friend and try to comfort them.
I think that my friend’s sadness will fade away quickly.

People mirror each other’s feelings, which also happens among some animal species. This is the first step of empathy. The next step is trying to understand how the other person feels and helping them.

It’s Saturday afternoon, and the only time during a busy week to assemble your new bookshelf together. You are hammering the shelves together when your neighbour rings the doorbell. Your neighbour’s little child has kept him up for several nights. Now the child is with the grandparents for the afternoon, and your neighbour has his only chance of sleeping. He can’t sleep because of the noise and asks if you could build the shelf some other time. How do you react?*

I tell the neighbour that I will finish building the shelf since I have already started and won’t have time to do it later.
I decide to build the shelf some other time.
I tell the neighbour that I can wait for a couple of hours, but then I will have to continue building the shelf.

Adapting your actions to the needs of someone else is a sign of empathic abilities. You don’t have to be flexible about everything, but you can come halfway and look for solutions that suit everyone.

You notice a shabby-looking man on the street. He is quietly moaning and holding his chest. There are a lot of people on the street, and you are in a hurry to get to your meeting. What do you do?*

I rush to my meeting – the guy probably just had too much to drink!
I rush to my meeting – if he has a problem, I’m sure someone else will help him!
I stop and ask him what is wrong. If needed, I will stay to help.

Helping others is empathy in action. It's important that empathic feelings also lead to actions.

Your co-worker is in a happy mood because she has received a prestigious award. How do you react?*

I congratulate my co-worker, but her happiness doesn’t impact me.
I think to myself that I also deserve recognition.
I’m happy, it’s nice to see my co-worker happy!

The ability to empathize with other person’s happiness or sadness is a sign of emotional empathy.

Your friend has been unemployed for a long time. He hasn’t been able to find employment and his savings are almost gone. How do you help your friend?*

I know how to help without asking. I’ll give my friend tips on how to find a job and save money.
I listen to my friend's worries and try to understand how he feels. I have a strong urge to help him.
I remind my friend that many people are much worse off than him.

By listening to your friend, you can understand how to help him.

10. For people, animals and nature to thrive in the future, global warming needs to be limited to 1.5 degrees. How do you contribute to the combat against climate change?*

Not much.
I have made changes in my diet, consumption habits and overall lifestyle.
I have changed my lifestyle and I actively campaign for better climate policies in my country and elsewhere.

Empathy is also about understanding the consequences of your actions. If they cause harm to others, it’s a good idea to ponder what you could do differently. Climate change is a huge challenge that requires actions on various levels. Everyone’s input is needed, as well as structural changes. Global challenges require emphatic actions with impact both near and far.

You read a news story, in which an asylum seeker is interviewed. He tells how he has lost several relatives in a bombing in his home country. The young man says that he is in danger of dying in his home country and is applying for asylum in Finland. What do you think?*

The man’s situation doesn’t particularly interest me.
I read news about people’s problems all the time and just can't care anymore. I skip to the next news story.
It’s hard for me to understand what a person might feel in such a difficult situation. Regardless, I spend a moment imagining how he might feel.

Feeling empathy is not always easy. The constant flow of bad news can lead to empathy exhaustion. Thinking about another person’s situation and looking for information can help in understanding their needs. It's also important to read how people help themselves and each other. This creates hope and gives ideas on how everyone can help others.

Have you experienced strong emotions while watching a touching film, a tv show, or reading a book?*

Not really.
Sometimes I have been strongly affected.
I often feel strong emotions while immersed in a story.

Empathizing with stories is a good way to strengthen your empathy skills.

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Empathy Quiz - English

Empathy Quiz - English

Empathy Quiz - English

Empathy Quiz - English

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