Empathy

Today, I got to have a conversation with someone on the power of empathy. The funny thing is, the actual topic of conversation was climate change, and we talked about how sympathy for the troubles of others can help inspire us to do our part to fight climate change and its accompanying semi-natural disasters. However, we also discussed the benefits of practicing empathy for those who are among the greatest contributors to climate change. Change is hard, even when it's for the better, and it's even harder when people attack those who need to change and demand that they change, with little thanks for those who do. People tend to get defensive when they're attacked, and that's not likely to get us anywhere. Instead, we might make some progress by acknowledging the difficulty of what we're asking them to do and acknowledging the progress that they make. That way, they may feel inspired to keep up the good work.

Empathy is powerful. It can heal people, unite people, and persuade people to work together, despite their differences. It can break down barriers and build bridges of understanding. Empathy is uplifting. When we want to help others, and when we want to persuade them to help us, we would to well to practice empathy.