In my own experience, listening/empathizing was also boosted by meditation. some young people struggle with empathy because it is never modeled for them. They a

In my own experience, listening/empathizing was also boosted by meditation. some young people struggle with empathy because it is never modeled for them. They are dismissed by adults, and then thrust into a school with other young people, which is a highly unnatural environment. They don’t really see adults interact with other adults. So, young people tend to lack empathy or have difficulty controlling/regulating their emotions. All they see are other young people who lack empathy and cannot regulate their own emotions (or sometimes even behavior). As an adult, I found that cultivating empathy was aided by meditation, by listening, and by spending a little time forcing the thought that it ain’t ever really about me.