April 15, 2011
Ever wonder why some people can't stand the over-the-top
awkwardness of characters on "The Office" while others love it? It
may have to do with the ability to feel empathy, according to new research from
the Philipps-University Marburg in Germany.
Researchers analyzed how people experience vicarious
embarrassment -- that cringe we feel when the host of a party makes a toast
with a piece of spinach in his teeth -- and found that it was closely tied to
feelings of empathy and empathy centers in the brain.
