Working between the US and UK, he says he has seen first-hand how polarising political debate has become. “It does feel to me that England is in a little bit of a crisis of self-identity. I think everyone would recognise that. And I was in America recently. You can see the polarisation there and how f**king dangerous the situation seems... Ionbhá, The Empathy Book for Ireland, is published by Mercier Press and edited by Cillian Murphy, Pat Dolan, Gillian Browne and Mark Brennan On empathy... Eamonn O’Shea, economist and former Tipperary hurling manager and coach So I became very interested in what makes a young person go from cognitive to affective. What makes a young person go from passive empathy to affective is actually doing things. There is an empathy education programme in primary schools, called Roots of Empathy, which is great, but it’s not in secondary schools. Ligeann an cumas seo dúinn muid féin a chur in áit ár n-idirghabhálaí agus anailís dhomhain a dhéanamh ar a n-intinn agus ar a riachtanais, chomh maith lena réaltacht mhothúchánach inmheánach: an fhulaingt nó an frustrachas a d’fhéadfadh a bheith acu, na rudaí a bhfuil spéis acu iontu, a gcuid inspreagadh, cad a chuireann muinín iontu, srl. .

Ar an mbealach seo, is gné fíor-riachtanach íéisteacht ionbhá caidreamh a dhéanamh i gceart agus go héifeachtúil lenár dtimpeallacht: agus muid ag déileáil leis na daoine timpeall orainn agus freisin le foghlaim ónár gcuid botún agus muid ag idirghníomhú leis an gcuid eile den tsochaí, athmhachnamh a dhéanamh ar ár dtuairim agus feabhsú mar dhaoine. What really convinced him about the merits of empathy education, however, were the results it showed among young people.Christmas will be particularly poignant for many of us this year, not just in Ireland but around the world. As we move away with some relief from the restricted Christmases of recent years to a freedom to socially mix and celebrate the season, we also need to think of the plight of others.

Opinion: 'evidence overwhelmingly affirms that the development of empathy is essential to healthy, social and emotional functioning'All royalties from the sale of this book will go directly to delivering the Activating Social Empathy education programme in Irish schools and youth work organisations. By understanding, feeling and identifying my emotions I then began to calmly and safely identify the emotions of others. I’d do it mindfully. The wrinkle of a smile. The raise of an eyebrow in surprise. The furrow of disappointment. The forced teethy smile that masks discomfort. I didn’t view other people through the threatening lens of fear that a state of anxiety demands.” Charlotte Silke and Bernadine Brady, academics at University of Galway’s Unesco Child and Family Centre Murphy’s sons, Malachy and Aran, are now in their teens, and in Ionbhá he writes in his own essay, “On Connection”, that “raising boys in this world is difficult. You do everything in your power to avoid raising proto-bullies or proto-misogynists, to avoid all the evil tropes of masculinity we are confronted by every day.” Is empathy a more feminine thing? “There probably is some pre-judging there about boys and girls, but I just think that if you’re around it, and exposed to it, and that muscle is exercised, then I think there should be no difference.” That said, he believes that “schools should be mixed... I don’t know why you would have boys and girls in separate schools. I went to an all-boys school all the way up, but it just seems insane to me. My boys have gone to mixed schools, and I think it’s been really beneficial for them.” Chomh maith le cuidiú linn sa ghné shóisialta le daoine eile, éisteacht ionbhá freisin imríonn sé tionchar dearfach orainn féin agus cabhraíonn sé linn feabhas a chur ar réimse leathan gnéithe pearsanta, mothúchánacha agus iompraíochta, ós rud é go dtugann sé faisnéis dúinn faoin mbealach a dhéileálann daoine eile lena gcuid mothúchán, lena gcuid fadhbanna agus lena gcuid tionscadal agus seachmaill.

With the rapidly changing world and ever-surprising challenges we now face, perhaps we should consider a further personal 'epiphany' in relation to what really matters in our lives and our relationships. We suggest that empathy awareness, education and development is core to this proposed epiphany, at both an individual and collective level.The way civic society is going — not just in this country, but globally — we’re going to be dependent on empathy. Take climate challenge or social justice of any shape or form... it’s vital — Prof Pat Dolan