Editorial
The Healing Power of Being Seen: Understanding How Genuine Care Strengthens Human Connection
by Hannah Panidis1,2
1Speaker and trainer at Communico, 56412 Ruppach-Goldhausen, Germany
2Podcast Host „DENKRAUM“, 77933 Lahr, Germany
Cite as: Panidis, H. (2025). The Healing Power of Being Seen: Understanding How Genuine Care Strengthens Human Connection. THE MIND Bulletin on Mind-Body Medicine Research, 8, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.61936/themind/202506301
Despite technological progress and a globalized world, modern life shows a puzzling contradiction: Never before have we been so connected, and – at the same time – never before have so many people reported feeling so profoundly alone and unseen. Even with countless ways to connect, we often fail to truly reach each other.
A simple phrase captures this reality: We are overconnected and underrelated.
It is not primarily – and this may come as a surprise – communication that we are lacking. It is real connection – the kind that touches us, shapes us, and anchors us.
The disconnection we are experiencing is not an abstract phenomenon. I regularly observe this dynamic in my work as a communication trainer, supporting leadership teams and organizations across industries. Teams and leaders often emphasize the importance of collaboration, shared goals, and building a strong sense of "we." They aim to foster cooperation, create team spirit, and build real togetherness. Yet despite these intentions, a different reality often emerges: employees frequently share that their leaders take too little time for their concerns, that genuine appreciation is rare, and that efforts to contribute or offer critical feedback are often discouraged rather than welcomed.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report confirms these patterns: only 21% of employees worldwide report feeling engaged in their work. The consequences are significant: disengaged employees are more likely to experience stress, emotional exhaustion, and a diminished sense of purpose. This disengagement does not only reduce performance; it weakens loyalty and increases feelings of isolation within organizations (Gallup, 2025).
Beyond the professional context, the human cost of disconnection is equally serious. The rise of loneliness even led the United Kingdom to establish a Ministry for Loneliness, recognizing that a lack of meaningful connection is not just a personal issue, but a public one – with serious effects on health and social cohesion (UK Government, 2018).
If communication alone is not enough, what is missing? It is the experience of being seen and valued – not for what we achieve, but for who we are.
This feeling, however, does not arise from words alone. It begins with an attitude, a conscious choice, expressing: "You matter enough for me to pause something
else." It is a decision to slow down, to set aside distractions, and – to put it simply – to care about what another person cares about.
That includes lifting our eyes from our devices or current tasks and approaching another person with curiosity instead of judgment. It means listening not to confirm our assumptions, but to discover something we did not yet know.
The Latin root of the word respect – respicere, meaning "to see someone or to show consideration for someone" – captures this spirit perfectly.
We feel seen when someone genuinely takes interest in us – not only when we are useful to them, but when they want to know what moves us, worries us and excites us. This kind of attention costs time and energy – and in today's fast-paced world, many people feel they cannot afford to invest it. Partly because they are already overwhelmed by their own responsibilities. And partly because truly seeing another human being brings with it an emotional commitment. Once we have seen another person's burden, we cannot remain untouched. Seeing someone creates a form of responsibility. It asks not only for our time, but for our willingness to be affected. Sometimes we hesitate to ask deeper questions because we know that truly listening could make us witnesses to pain – or reveal that our support is needed.
Yet meaningful connection is exactly that: understanding what moves and matters to the other person. It often starts with simple questions: "How are you really?" "What has been on your mind lately?" "Is there something you wish others understood better about your situation?"
Such questions, especially "How are you?", are often asked out of habit – without any real expectation of a meaningful answer. Yet if we asked them with true openness, they could reveal so much about a person and open a door to real understanding. From what I have experienced, the best questions are often the simplest ones – asked with real intention rather than technique. Questions do not need to be sophisticated. What matters is the promise they carry: If I ask, I am willing to stay and listen.
What helps us in our efforts to build connection is that we must set aside our assumptions about what we ourselves would need in a specific situation. Respect means recognizing that the other person might need something very different – encouragement, patience, challenge or simply space. It is an expansion of the Golden Rule: while the original Golden Rule suggests treating others as we would want to be treated, real connection often requires more. It asks us to treat others as they need to be treated – even and especially if it differs from what we would wish for ourselves.
As already described, the quality of listening reveals itself not in words or phrases, but in the patience of our silence, the openness of our attitude, and the absence of rush.
In my work, I often encourage leaders to move away from complex communication strategies and to return to a simple, demanding practice: put the phone aside. Meet the other’s gaze without hurry. Allow silence to exist, without immediately filling it. True listening is not about controlling a conversation. It is about slowing down enough to enter the rhythm of another person's experience.
The effects of listening are profound – and they can also be explained scientifically. When we are truly listened to, something transformative happens inside us. Our nervous system, often on guard in everyday interactions, shifts from defense to openness. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory describes this beautifully: genuine social engagement activates the parts of our nervous system that promote safety, trust, and restoration (Porges, 2011). In these moments, we move from vigilance to resonance – from surviving to relating.
At its core, being seen and heard is therefore not a luxury, but a biological necessity – vital for emotional and physical health. Research by Cacioppo and Patrick (2008) further highlights that the human need for social connection is deeply rooted in our biology – essential for mental resilience and physical health. That is why we should not view it as a "nice-to-have," but as a foundational pillar of our relationships.
Small moments of genuine presence – a thoughtful question, a heartfelt hug, a shared smile – can profoundly alter the emotional climate between people. They build invisible bridges of trust that no team-building workshop or incentive program can manufacture.
True connection often remains invisible – living in the quiet spaces where someone chooses not to interrupt, not to fix, not to judge – but simply to be with another.
In a time of accelerating pace and constant distraction, such moments require deliberate effort and an inner conviction: nothing essential is lost when we slow down and make time for someone else. On the contrary: it is precisely in these moments of curiosity and openness toward another person that real connection is born.
These moments of true encounter must be consciously created. They arise in spaces we nurture with intention – between people willing to stay, even when it would be easier to move on.
Truly listening is one of the most important skills for creating real belonging and connection. A good listener transforms workplaces, families and communities. They enrich the lives around them – because after all:
The greatest present we can offer is being present.
It is not the frequency of our connections that binds us most deeply. It is our mutual willingness to remain curious, even – and especially – when we are different.
May this issue of THE MIND inspire you to listen beyond words and to rediscover the healing power of truly seeing – and being seen.
References
Gallup. (2025). State of the Global Workplace 2025 Report. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
UK Government. (2018). A Connected Society: A Strategy for Tackling Loneliness – laying the foundations for change. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-connected-society-a-strategy-for-tackling-loneliness
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.