Empathy
Empathy - What is Empathy?
Empathy is a feeling different from sympathy. When one is sympathetic, one implies pity but maintains distance from another person’s feelings. Empathy is more a sense that one can truly understand or imagine the depth of another person’s feelings. It implies feeling with a person, rather than feeling sorry for a person.
Empathy is a translation of the German term Einfühlung, meaning to feel as one with. It implies sharing the load, or “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes,” in order to appropriately understand that person’s perspective.
How to show Empathy
This video clip explains what Empathy is:
Here is some advise for flexing the empathy muscle a bit:
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1.Listen, really listen, listen with your ears, your eyes and your heart. Pay attention to body language, tone and voice. Tune in to non-verbal communication. Sometimes people say one thing and mean something completely different. Don’t miss this.
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2.Don’t interrupt, don't dismiss their concerns. Don’t rush to give advise, don’t change the subject. Allow people to have their moment.
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3.Be fully present. Don’t think about what to say next, or how you feel about what they are saying. Give them your full undivided attention. Imagine turning you off for a moment and be purely there for them.