ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Empathy gap

Okay, so imagine you have a friend who is feeling sad because their pet cat ran away. You might feel really sorry for them and want to give them a big hug to make them feel better. That's called empathy - it's when you understand and share the feelings of another person.

Now, let's talk about an empathy gap. Sometimes, people might have a hard time understanding or feeling the same emotions as someone else. This could happen if they haven't experienced a similar situation themselves, or if they have a different perspective on things.

For example, if you've never had a pet before, it might be hard for you to really understand how upsetting it can be for your friend when their cat runs away. This is because you don't have that same personal connection to a pet like they do.

So, an empathy gap is like a kind of barrier that can make it difficult for people to fully understand or feel the emotions of others, especially if they haven't been in a similar situation themselves. It's important to try and bridge this gap by listening to others, trying to put yourself in their shoes, and showing kindness and understanding towards their feelings.