Relationships

Empathy: A Trait 3 Generations Will Inherit

New research shows parents pass down qualities that safeguard their children and grandchildren from loneliness in our increasingly disconnected world.
Empathy: A Trait 3 Generations Will Inherit
Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock
Mari Otsu
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Precious family heirlooms and physical traits are not the only things passed down from generation to generation.

A 25-year study published in 2024 followed families across three generations and found that empathy is a trait that endures over time and across relationships. The “empathy blueprints” we receive from our parents are paid forward, shaping how we connect with our friends and, later, how we nurture our children.

Mari Otsu
Mari Otsu
Author
Mari Otsu holds a bachelor's in psychology and art history and a master's in humanities. She completed the classical draftsmanship and oil painting program at Grand Central Atelier. She has interned at Harvard University’s Gilbert Lab, New York University’s Trope Lab, the West Interpersonal Perception Lab—where she served as lab manager—and at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.