Speaking through my own experience, people's character can change. I'm certainly not the same person I was 5 years ago in terms of habits, mentality, and overall character. I believe there are many things that can factor into that, whether it be some kind of life changing event, or something else.
I also think people can learn to be empathetic. Take a poor person for example. If we see someone on tv from a different country that's begging for food or standing in a long line top get a small amount of water to drink, I'd say most people watching that can't relate, but might sympathize with them. In the situation for those who aren't deprived of food or water but deliberately put themselves in that situation for the sake of understanding the struggle, they can learn to be empathetic towards those who live in that type of environment. I think Ramadan is a good example of Muslims learning to be empathetic towards those who are less fortunate. Anyone with a mental disability will be in a different category in regards to being able to adapt or learn something, but I think for the general public, people can learn to be empathetic.
