SOB!
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SOB! |
"You will not become fully human until you can feel within your soul the pain or sorrow of a stranger and sob openly for what has happened to him." (Mr. Andrews) This is empathy.
Empathy can also create very positive feelings within you. There have been many times when I have sobbed openly with feelings of great joy at the success or triumph of someone who has overcome some great challenge in their life.
Empathy is the ability to place your own viewpoint inside the head of another person. It is the ability to experience what they experience, and to feel what they feel.
Empathy is a uniquely human trait. It is a highly civilizing emotion. It works to prevent us from being cruel or hurtful. It keeps us from saying or doing hurtful things. It moves us to action to help another person.
Empathy is a sharing of life. If you express it so other people can see it, it tells them things like:
Empathy connects people together at the "GUT level!"
About Showing Emotions
There is nothing shameful about showing emotions that may arise within you as you experience empathetic feelings. If your voice quivers and breaks because of how deeply you may be empathetically feeling another person's hurt, or his joy, that is good. It tells other people that you have a heart. It tells them you are able to understand other people. It tells them that you can "relate well" with other people. These are good things!
Work at becoming fully human: work at developing empathy. Please!
SPECIAL NOTE
There is a danger in empathy. It is NOT that people will see your emotion - that is a good thing. The danger is that if you are TOO emotional at the wrong time, you may not be able to function well in an emergency.
Example
There is an accident, and someone is in great pain and bleeding.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR EXCESSIVE EMOTION! If you start screaming "Oh my God! How awful! ... etc. " the victim could well become terrified and fearful of dying! That would not be a good thing for you to do to him!
Instead, this is the time for calm and clear thinking and quick action! You have first aid training. You immediately start to work. You see what the problems are. While doing that, a bit of empathy is working in you that allows you to have some idea about what the victim might be thinking about himself and his injuries. Using that empathy, you talk to the victim to calm him.
"I know you have a lot of pain, and it looks awful, but this is not a life threatening injury. I have sent someone to call the paramedics. They will be here soon. Meanwhile, I will stop the bleeding. I will stay with you. Hang in there, you will be OK!"
Hold his hand, or have someone else hold his hand. This has a calming effect.
SELF-STUDY
The quality of our civilization is in direct proportion to the total of all the empathy of its individuals. - - - Read that again!
Why is this true? Think of all the ways it could be true. You can work together, or with family members. Think of all the ways that empathy might contribute to a better society. Write out your answers. Bring them back next class time. Be able to explain how empathy would work in your examples, and how it would make our society better. We will talk about your answers then, and likely learn from each other.
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