Empathy and reasoning aren't rivals, research shows

"Our new research, forthcoming in the academic journal PNAS Nexus, a flagship peer-reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests this "heart versus head" argument is too simple. Empathy and reasoning aren't rivals-they work together. Each one on its own predicts more generous, far-reaching acts of assistance. And when they operate side by side, people tend to help in the fairest ways-not favoring some over others-and in ways that touch the most lives."

"One consisted of living organ donors who gave kidneys to strangers. The other included "effective altruists," who use evidence and logic to direct substantial portions of their income or careers toward causes that save the most lives per dollar, such as fighting extreme poverty or preventable illness. All participants completed survey measures of empathy-essentially, how much they care about and are moved by others' suffering. They also completed survey measures of reasoning."

Two groups that regularly help others at personal cost were compared: living kidney donors who gave kidneys to strangers, and effective altruists who channel substantial income or careers toward high-impact causes such as fighting extreme poverty or preventable illness. Participants completed measures of empathy — how much they care about and are moved by others' suffering — and measures of reflective reasoning — how often they slow down, reflect, and think through decisions. Across participants, higher empathy and higher reflective reasoning each predicted broader, more outward-looking helping, greater generosity, and higher impact. When both traits were elevated, helping tended to be fairer, impartial, and to touch more lives.

Read at Fast Company