#9 Brain Bite - Whales, Empathy, and You

A whale shields a seal from an orca, and somewhere in your brain a quiet circuit lights up: protect, connect, help. We follow that instinct from the open ocean to everyday life, unpacking why humpbacks keep rescuing other species and what their behavior suggests about empathy as a shared biological strategy rather than a strictly human trait. Along the way, we translate big neuroscience—mirror neurons, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the insula—into plain language and simple practices you can use today.

I share a candid look at what empathy feels like for me, the difference between helping and absorbing someone else’s pain, and why that distinction matters for mental health. Then we get practical. You’ll get a one-week empathy challenge built around tiny, repeatable acts that take under a minute—holding a door, checking in on a friend, offering a specific compliment—and a quick reset routine to help your body pair connection with calm. We also dig into oxytocin’s role in bonding, stress relief, and social reward, why some brains feel connection as an easy lift and others as a heavier one, and how small, consistent reps can shift your baseline.

For listeners curious about personalization, we touch on brain DNA insights related to oxytocin signaling and how those genetics might shape your starting point without locking in your outcome. Expect a grounded mix of science, story, and steps you can try today—no jargon, no lectures, just a clear path to strengthening the circuits that make connection feel safer and more natural.

If this resonates, try the empathy challenge this week and share what you notice on your social media. Pass this episode to someone who's quietly listening on your socials. We are grateful for all who join the Unshakeable Brain community and are happy to bring you a little science-backed encouragement inside this Brain Bite.

Note: This podcast episode is sponsored by Dr. Rewire's Brain DNA test. Learn more at Unshakeablebrain.ai. If you're a practitioner and you're interested in adding this at-home lab test to your toolkit, go to Unshakeablebrain.ai/expert.

I, Dr. Kylie, no longer work with clients in any endeavor. If you'd like more support for your health, I recommend working with the physicians at the EllieMD telemedicine platform. To get started, go to https://elliemd.com/?bp=drkylie. For health and wellness experts looking to provide this resource to your clients, get started at https://elliemd.com/join-us/?bp=drkylie.

Thank you for joining the Unshakeable Brain community. Dr. Kylie

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
Hey there.
You're listening to Brain Bites,the quick hit from Unshakeable
Brain.
I'm your host, Dr.
Kylie, and in just a few minutesyou'll walk away with a
practical insight, fun story, orinteresting brain fact.
Alright, let's jump in.

(00:25):
Compact whales have been caughton camera hundreds of times
rescuing other animals.
Seals, sea lions, even fish fromorca attacks.
Here's the wild part.
They get nothing out of it.
No food, no status, no survivalbenefit.
Scientists think this might bean example of something we

(00:47):
humans know well.
Empathy.
In our brains, empathy ispowered by networks that light
up when we sense someone else'sfear, pain, or need.
Mirror neurons help us imaginewhat others are experiencing,
and areas like the anteriorcingulate cortex and the insula
push us to respond.

(01:08):
When we see whales protectingother species just because, it

raises a big question (01:13):
is empathy something unique to
humans or a universal braintrait that helps species connect
and protect each other?
Holy smokes, empathy.
That when I saw that story abouthumpback whales, I immediately
thought of the people in my lifewho are empathetic.

(01:37):
I, for one, am not.
No matter how hard I try to be,I just can't take on somebody
else's energy.
It's not in me.
Can I come to people's rescue?
Yes.
As a mom, am I able to do that?
Yes.
But I can't sit in someoneelse's sorrow or someone else's

(01:59):
feeling with them.
It is interesting to hear thoughthat humpbacks have been caught
on camera hundreds of timesrescuing other animals from
attack, and they get absolutelynothing of reward from it.
So interesting story,interesting thought about the
emotion of empathy.

(02:21):
So here's your brain bitechallenge this week.
Practice a small act of empathywith no strings attached.
Hold the door for someone, checkin on a friend, or give a
genuine compliment.
These micro moments of empathystrengthen your own brain's
wiring for connection,resilience, and emotional

(02:41):
health.
Fun fact Did you know acts ofempathy don't just make others
feel good?
They actually boost your ownbrain chemistry, releasing
oxytocin and endorphins thathelp lower stress and improve
mental resilience.
Speaking of oxytocin, that is amarker inside your brain DNA

(03:03):
test in which you can learn ifyour brain DNA is wired or
designed to produce oxytocin,utilize oxytocin, and get rid of
it efficiently.
Why do you care?
Well, that oxytocin is yourability to connect with others.

(03:24):
What does your brain DNA testsay?
I know mine says I'm 50-50 onoxytocin, which isn't good.
It's not bad.
It just means I might need alittle bit more to put forward
more effort into the connectionwith others, especially those
relationships that I want tofeel really connected to.

(03:46):
Go grab your brain DNA test andfind out oxytocin and other
pieces of information atuncheckable brain.ai.
All right, that is your brainbite for the week.
Humpback whales may be thevigilance of the sea, but you've

(04:07):
got the same empathy wiringinside your brain.
Use it, strengthen it, and watchyour brain grow more unshakable.
I'm Dr.
Kylie, and I'll see you on thenext episode.