Empathy

Here’s what I know: that some people find it difficult to empathize with those who are suffering. Considering that there is so much that is happening in our world, like war, famine, and natural disasters, there are still those who don't care, until they are directly impacted themselves. I sincerely believe that a sense of community, and being part of a community enhances our individual personality traits. This will help in our ability to relate to others, which in turn aids in our growth and development. A lack of empathy will hinder our growth and development, and will no doubt impede our ability to relate to other people's life experiences. The lack of empathy is often evident in narcissistic people who care more for themselves and less for others. Empathy is always a positive trait of our humanness. It exemplifies character and our understanding of kindness. Our genetics and the ability to socialize play a key role in developing empathy. Life experiences determine how each of us acquires our ability to empathize with others. We are saddened by someone else's suffering, and we try our best to help in the best way we can if possible. Our world would be a far better place if empathy played a key role in our decision-making. If people can change for the better, and empathy prevails across society, we will no doubt create a better world for everyone.

"Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgement, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of 'You're not alone.'"

- Brené Brown

"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another."

- Alfred Adler

“It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul.”

- Desmond Tutu

"Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world." 

- Barack Obama

“You don’t have to understand someone completely to love them. You just have to listen and care.” 

– Mitch Albom

The willingness to be charitable is to instill hope in the less fortunate among us. Empathizing with others is a true indication of the human spirit, especially during times of need. When we are tested on so many levels, we begin to understand what it feels like to be helpless. A lifetime of hardships grounds our understanding of others and what we would do if, God forbid, we were faced with a life of uncertainty. The empathy shown to us teaches us the importance of being relatable to the needs of others. In our time of need, when someone showers us with understanding, let us know we are not alone. If a person cannot empathize with our fellow humans, it clearly shows they have zero understanding of humanness. It does not take much to show you care; it takes effort, patience, and a desire to make a difference. Our ability to show kindness without restrictions, and to be considerate to others is no doubt an indication of our generosity to mankind. The willingness to be generous is not confined to how much we give to charity. It can simply be the time spent with those we love, causes we volunteer for, or just mentoring and providing the appropriate guidance and direction to someone. As human beings, if we can not empathize with others, we are simply lost souls without a cause to exist. The ability to relate to or share the feelings of others is simply the basis of our humanness.

“Kindness and a good heart form the underlying foundation for our success in this life, our progress on the spiritual path, and our fulfillment of our ultimate aspiration: the attainment of full enlightenment.”

- Dalai Lama

“A world without empathy is a world that is dead to others—and if we are dead to others, we are dead to ourselves. The sharing of another’s pain can take us past the narrow canyon of selfish disregard, and even cruelty, and into the larger, more expansive landscape of wisdom and compassion.”

- Joan Halifax

“By peace we mean the capacity to transform conflicts with empathy, without violence, and creatively – a never-ending process.”

- John Galtung

“This capacity for empathy leads to a genuine encounter – we have to progress toward this culture of encounter – in which heart speaks to heart.”

- Pope Francis

“Empathy is the fuel that powers acts of kindness and compassion.”

- Karen Armstrong

It is important to understand a person's circumstances, since you never know what situation they may be in. Life can change in an instant, and you may find yourself wishing that others would empathize with you. Life changes unexpectedly and when you least expect it to. When you feel personal pain, that is brought on by life's unexpected moments, it is comforting to know that people care. That is why you must be able to understand and share in another person's feelings; it enables you to connect with them on a deeper level. Especially when you are called to relate to their suffering, like putting yourself in their shoes. This goes beyond sympathy and just feeling sorry for them. Empathy enables one to visualize the other person's perspective and experience their feelings even if by vicarious means. When you are a natural empath, your connection to the world is deeper, it enhances your humanness and fosters your growth and development as a human being. As humans, the more we are attuned with societal experiences and how people are impacted by them, the greater our appreciation of life itself. As our understanding of another person's emotions and beliefs evolves, we feel for their suffering, and it will lead us to care about them on a much deeper level. Empathy is part of our humanness; if you have not yet tapped into it, you have not truly experienced life.

“If you find yourself saying 'But I'm just being honest', chances are you've just been unkind. Honesty doesn't heal. Empathy does.”

- Dan Waldschmidt

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” 

- Henry David Thoreau

“I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

- Maya Angelou

"Empathy is the most mysterious transaction that the human soul can have, and it's accessible to all of us, but we have to allow ourselves to identify, to plunge ourselves in a story where we see the world from the bottom up or through another's eyes or heart."

- Sue Monk Kidd

“The highest expression of empathy is accepting others without judgment.” 

– Carl Rogers