Empathy and Covid-19. Does empathy lead to show prosocial behaviour and make morally better choices?

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, grade: 1,3, University of Kent, language: English, abstract: This essay examines whether empathy leads both individuals as well as social groups to show prosocial behaviour and make morally better choices. 'We have an empathy deficit.' That quote is from Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Empathy refers to processes through which people respond to others' emotions. Initially empathy was seen by the general population as something worth striving for. However, this view was recently challenged by the American psychologist Paul Bloom by stating 'The problems we face as a society and as individuals are rarely due to lack of empathy. Actually, they are often due to too much of it.' Research indicates that individuals who make decisions based on empathy are often biased and irrational. According to this perspective increasing empathy in the population will not solve social problems, but rather have a negative effect on society.

[english below] Minh Vu ist ein sehr erfolgreicher Unternehmensberater und Psychologe aus Deutschland. Geboren als Kind von Asylanten in einem deutschen Flüchtlingsheim in den 1990er Jahren, ist er zwischen zwei Kulturen aufgewachsen und hat den hohen Wert westlicher Bildungsmöglichkeiten sehr früh erkannt. Im Alter von 22 Jahren erlangte er seinen ersten akademischen Abschluss im Fachbereich der Psychologie. Nebenher war er stark in der Unternehmensberatung aktiv. Auf der einen Seite hat er für weltweit renommierte Beratungshäuser wie der KPMG AG oder Gartner Inc. gearbeitet, auf der anderen Seite als selbstständiger Unternehmensberater in freiberuflichen Teams eigenständig Projekte geleitet und durchgeführt. Geprägt ist die Arbeit von Minh Vu durch seine starken Wurzeln in der wissenschaftlichen Psychologie. Er hat bereits in Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Königreich im akademischen Umfeld geforscht und profitiert von der Synergie aus Wissenschaft und Business. Diese spiegelt sich deutlich in seinen grundlagenorientierten und trotzdem anwendungsbezogenen Werken wider. Viel Spaß beim Lesen! Minh Vu is a very successful business consultant and psychologist from Germany. Born as a child of refugees in a German refugee home in the 1990s, he grew up between two cultures and recognised the high value of western educational opportunities very early on. At the age of 22 he received his first academic degree in the field of psychology. At the same time he was heavily involved in management consulting. On the one hand, he worked for worldwide renowned consulting companies such as KPMG AG or Gartner Inc., on the other hand, as an independent consultant in freelance teams he managed and executed projects independently. Minh Vu's work is characterised by his strong roots in scientific psychology. He has already been researching in Germany and the United Kingdom in an academic environment and benefits from the synergy between science and business. This is clearly reflected in his fundamental yet application-oriented work. Enjoy reading!