Empathy
By arkaf61
@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
January 3, 2008 9:22pm CST
Some have it, some are aware of it, and some really have trouble even understanding the concept:)
It has been defined as "the capacity to think and feel oneself into the inner life of another person." the being able to "walk a mile in someone's shoes" or just the intuitive feeling and understanding what someone else might be feeling even if we're not experiencing the same feelings ourselves.
Regardless of its definition empathy seems to facilitate communication and human relations and although before it was thought to be a genetic trait, there are currents now that say that it can be thought.
Some people might confuse empathy with sympathy, but they are two different things. When presented with a friend's pain, sympathy will see the pain and feel sorry that the friends is going trough that. Empathy will go further into understanding the other feelings mixed with the pain being experienced by the friend and will not necessarily feel sorry, just understand deeper. Often being able to verbalize those feelings in a helpful way to the friend.
Empathy will enable us to imagine the other person's feelings, and allows us to place ourselves in their context - even if they're foreign to us.
It is said that empathy can even prevent hatred, or turning it around that hatred makes it hard for someone to empathize with the person they hate.
A Powerful tool, that is difficult to understand by the ones who don't have it.
Do you have it?
3 people like this
6 responses
@peanutjar (5198)
• Canada
4 Jan 08
Hi,yes i believe i do.I always put other peoples feelings first,hate to have someone feel hurt because of something i did,so i avoid it.I feel i should treat someone other than myself with kindness and the way i would want to be treated in a situation,like pain,hurt,etc.Haha,now that i think of it,i think i have alot of empathy,lol.I am a very kind hearted person to anyone,even if they have done me wrong,i will still feel empathy for them no matter what.I cannot hold a grudge,but instead let it go because of the kindness in my little heart.Im always ready to lend a helping hand to help someone when they are at there lowest.Human kindess and love is the greatest power we can have:)
Peanutjar:)
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
4 Jan 08
Beautiful feelings peanut:) The ones that sometimes get us hurt just to avoid hurting someone else, but that are worth nevertheless.
The ability to feel what someone else is feeling can be painful too sometimes, as others posters stated but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
@subha12 (18441)
• India
4 Jan 08
yes i believe i have empathy. i can think myself in the shoe of the other person. It is the case with me always. before commenting on anyone, i have always taken me to that person's frame to see whether that course of action is justified or not. tahnks a lot for the post.
@GardenGerty (157813)
• United States
4 Jan 08
I think I have empathy. This reminds me of a saying," A friend knows the song in your heart, and sings it back to you when you have forgotten the words." At least that is a close approximation of the saying. It is one I have favored for awhile. Is there such a thing as being too empathetic?
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
4 Jan 08
I think I do. I always try to understand other people feelings.
I don't like superficial sympathy, you can hear polite voice and no interest in understanding...
However, if you have never felt a certain feeling, it will be hard for you to understand how another person is feeling.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
4 Jan 08
Yes, it will be harder. We will try to use our own perspectives and feelings to compare and sometimes it's not even close.
That's why people have a tendency to feel more empathy towards people whose perspectives are close to us or tell us something.
On the other hand, I guess that's why empathy is a feeling thing and not a word thing :)
@tzaiwah85 (132)
• Philippines
4 Jan 08
This is indeed very informative.
Nowadays, in this world-full of war, calamities, hatred and pains among others, there are very few people who knows and acknowledge this trait; when this world has already been engulfed with selfishness, sympathy is even hard to achieve.
Sometimes, I find it hard to internalize within my being, especially if the person is very irritating already or has done too much damaged to myself or to my love ones.
But, personally, I believe that being sympathetic is the first step towards understanding the other person into an empathetic level.
Since I know I have an inner trait of being sympathetic, then I know it wouldn't be hard for me to develop into a person with an empathetic trait.
@Uroborus (908)
• Canada
4 Jan 08
If I reach out to comfort you when you are in pain, that is sympathy, and it's a good thing. If I reach out to comfort you when you are in pain, and I feel that same pain, that is empathy. Empathy is at the root of moral behaviour. With empathy we form the bonds that are necessary to form a just society. With empathy our consciousness grows beyond the self and encompasses community.
1 person likes this
