13 Jan Empathy
Did you guys hear about what that guy did to Mikey Rankowski?
I like Mikey, he’s on my lacrosse team. No, I didn’t hear. What happened?
That really bad dude at the school beat him up for no reason, although some people say he did it because his dad was just put in jail.
Mikey’s dad’s in jail?
No, not Mikey’s dad, the bad guy’s dad. He was put in jail for something serious. And I hear he used to beat up his kids and wife, too.
That’s terrible. I feel bad for Mikey… and for the mean kid.
I actually don’t think we should be saying “mean kid” and “bad dude.” The truth is, he’s just another kid who had bad things happen to him and now he’s taking it out on someone else. What’s his name, anyway?
I don’t know. He’s just known as the bad guy. The bully. Someone to stay away from.
Sounds like this kid has a lot of reasons to be angry, none of which make it right to beat up on someone. But, Steve and Nicki, both seem very empathic towards the situation.
Empathic? What’s that?
Empathy, being empathic, is a trait that people have that helps them understand how another person is feeling. It is the experience of being able to say to yourself, “Oh I know how that feels” when another person is going through something.
We are all born with the capacity to have empathy, but some people feel it to greater degree than others. Yet, empathy is one of the most important emotions for people to foster (meaning, to develop). Why? Because empathy connects us to each other—it speaks to our common humanity and reminds us that we are all people who have feelings, desires and dreams. We can sometimes forget that when things get really busy or challenging.
You might be surprised by how this one personality trait—empathy—can make such a huge difference in your life and the whole world.
You will read and learn about:
Why is having empathy important?
Why are some people empathic and others aren’t?
You and empathy: test yourself
Post Question:
Do you think you are empathic? If so, how much? A lot, a little, needs work?
Answer the post question here
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