Empathising–systemising theory

The empathising-systemising theory is a way of understanding how people's brains work based on two key ingredients: empathy and systemising. Empathy is all about feeling and understanding the emotions of other people. Systemising is all about figuring out patterns, rules, and how things work.

Think of it like this: If you see someone crying, and you feel sad because you can tell they're upset, that's empathy. If you like to take apart machines or toys to see how they work, that's systemising.

So people fall on a spectrum between these two things. Some people are really good at feeling and understanding other people's emotions, but aren't as interested in patterns and systems. Other people are really good at figuring out how things work, but may struggle to understand other people's feelings.

This theory can help us to understand why some people are particularly good at things like socialising, counselling, or understanding art, while others might be more interested in science, engineering, or maths. It's a way of understanding that everyone has different strengths and preferences, and that's okay!