Empathy Enhances Wellbeing in Interpersonal Relationships across Lifespan

Abstract

The healthy and happy human living revolves around establishing and maintaining stable relationships with each other.  The life experiences pose whether these meaningful relationships are considered important for the well-being of individuals and communities. People constantly strive for cordial interactions with others, on one side, to avoid psycho-physiological damages such as loneliness and disapproval from others and on the other side, to shape their life meaningfully and grow purposefully. Empathy has been considered a vital component of one’s social cognition that contributes to one’s ability to understand and respond adaptively to others’ emotions that promotes prosocial behaviour in interpersonal relationships and communications. Empathy enhances cognitive abilities and emotional stability thus promoting well being in interpersonal relationships (Preston & de Wall, 2002). The human qualities, for instance, attraction, love, kinship, friendship, jealousy, betrayal, forgiveness, communication, conflict and aggression are either positively or negatively connected to human relationship domain and vital for the wellbeing at all levels.  And, for upholding wellbeing and interpersonal relationships, the predominant and promising dynamic seems to be the psychological component of empathy. The present presentation pungently brings out the conceptual details on the concept of empathy along with its imperative role in enhancing interpersonal affinity or relationships in enhancing wellbeing in general.  This paper is presented to establish that empathy enhances the interpersonal relationship and well-being across the life span.