Why We Are Not Doomed Part One: Quick and Easy Ways to Rewire Our Brains for Connection Across Differences.

May 10 / Michelle van Ryn, PhD, MPH, Humanitas Institute

Why We ARE Doomed Without Action

Empathy may feel like a stable trait—something you either have or don’t. But neuroscience reveals a more troubling reality: our brain’s natural empathy system is wired to play favorites. When left unchecked, it doesn’t treat all patients—or people—equally.

A recent study published in Cortex found that when people watch others perform simple actions, their brains show what’s called sensorimotor resonance—subtle brain activity in the movement and sensation areas that mirrors what the other person is doing. This mirroring is one of the core mechanisms that makes empathy possible.

But here’s the problem: that resonance is significantly weaker when people observe someone from who they say is different from them; in this case a different racial group.

In the study, participants who were simply asked to remain objective while observing only resonated with people from their own racial group. When watching an outgroup member perform the exact same action, their brains were far less active.

This isn’t just a neural quirk. Research shows that weaker resonance is linked to poorer understanding, lower empathy, and even less helpful behavior. In healthcare, this can mean:

 • Less attunement to what the patient is experiencing,
 • Less emotional connection,
 • And ultimately, decisions that may not reflect the patient’s needs or values.

In short: when we don’t intervene, our empathy shrinks at the exact moment it’s needed most. And worse, we’re usually unaware it’s even happening.

Why Are Not Doomed: Perspective-Taking

The same study found that when participants were asked to imagine a day in the life of a person from a different racial background—a classic perspective-taking exercise—their brains responded very differently.

In the perspective-taking group, participants showed strong sensorimotor resonance with both in-group and outgroup members. Their empathy system “lit up” just as much for those different from them as for those similar. Even more striking? The effect carried over. It wasn’t limited to the person they imagined—it extended to other outgroup individuals they encountered later.

In other words, perspective taking instantly and automatically:

 • Recalibrated their empathy system,
 • Expanded intuitive understanding across difference,
 • And helped neutralize the empathy gap baked into our default settings.

For those working in healthcare, this has profound implications. A small shift in mindset—one that takes seconds—can shape how fully we engage with patients, how well we understand them, and how effectively we support their care.

Perspective taking isn’t just an ethical ideal. It’s neuroscience-backed, deeply practical, and urgently needed.

Gutsell, J. N., Simon, J. C., & Jiang, Y. (2020). Perspective taking reduces group biases in sensorimotor resonance. Cortex, 132, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.004