My daughter Carrie Rice works as a consultant to non-profits.  She was doing a presentation in San Francisco focusing on using empathy in working with clients.  The response to the word empathy was significant.  People were drawn to it and wanted to attend her presentation.  She suggested to me the idea of working together where I would talk about the experience of empathy from a psychological framework and she would then talk about its professional advantage in seeking business.

I mentioned this to a friend who is a psychologist in Michigan.  She said she was aware that empathy had become a word people were attracted to there also.

I reflected on the enhanced attraction to the concept of empathy and thought that there may be an explanation based on what is happening in the United States and the world in regard to terrorism, racism, and fear of the use of nuclear weapons.

My thought is that people are subliminally seeking relief; to connect to people in a caring way feels much better than being afraid and helpless.

If this speaks to you, there may be accuracy in the thought.