EMPATHY

One day I over heard 2 people talking, both were having a hard time being patient. I found myself becoming irritated and feeling quite helpless. I did nothing. Later, I mentioned this incident to someone and he suggested I use EMPATHY, a technique, if you will, using the ability to recognize and share emotions and understanding of another. It is a way of reaching out to someone to embrace them in their feelings of frustration, loss or whatever.

I had never felt his exact situation but one close enough to understand and feel for his pain. If the situation had been conducive, I could have reached out to acknowledge how he must be feeling, endeavoring to impart that he was not alone in his feelings. It is basically seeing his situation from his PERSPECTIVE. What I did was to JUDGE his harshness.

None of us really knows what the other person has/is experiencing, but if we are even half awake, we can feel and see his/her distress and even with a look, or a gentle touch reach out and help him to know he/she is not alone.

I have been confused for years about the difference between EMPATHY and COMPASSION. They seemed the same but I recently read definitions that help me distinguish one from the other. There are 2 other definitions I’ll include, PITY and SYMPATHY.

PITY—acknowledging others suffering (oh you poor thing…)

SYMPATHY—I care about your suffering ( sending a sympathy card to someone)

EMPATHY—I feel your suffering from your experience. (Something that happened to another that has not directly happened to you, but you can well imagine)

COMPASSION—I want to relieve your suffering (Mother Teresa) whether we know them or not.

You can see how similar these 4 situations are and I think it doesn’t really matter if we are clear on what’s what as long as our heart is open to someone else’s pain. I have experienced all 4 emotions and situations at one time or another and do my best to reach out in my heart even if I don’t speak a word to them.

I see people here at the Village who has experienced life in ever so many ways and even though I may never know the details I can have EMPATHY and COMPASSION for each one. It isn’t necessary that I (or any of us ) know the details. It is the AWARENESS and CONSCIOUSNESS we can intend to communicate.

I’m often uncomfortable and at a loss for words with someone, whether I know them well or not. I’m learning to reach out in my heart and feel for them and be more patient. We don’t have to carry other’s burdens but I feel it is vital that we have an AWARENESS of other’s pain.

What would it be like

To walk on this earth

In another’s moccasins?

BLESSINGS