Empathy and Analysis Cannot Co-Exist in the Brain – Case Western Reserve University Research

The duck-rabbit, made famous by Wittgenstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ever wonder why compassion might be a difficult sell in corporations?

New research from Case Western shows that when analysis is at play, empathy goes away.  Scientists discovered that the brain circuits used when we think about social matters, such as considering other people’s views, or moral issues, inhibit the circuits that we use when we think about inanimate, analytical things, such as working on a physics problem or making sure the numbers add up when we balance our budget.

As in the picture  – either you see a duck or a rabbit – one cannot see both at the same time.