Search Inside Yourself
Chapter Seven - Developing Empathy Through Understanding and Connecting with Others
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
- Stephen R. Covey
Empathy is a part of the brain that everybody already has but we feel it more for people with whom we share a connection i.e. family members, friends etc. We can however, increase our level of empathy towards others with practice. If you regularly think about the similarities you share with either a particular individual or a group of people, and then in your mind wish them happiness and good fortune, you will feel a stronger connection and have more empathy for them in the future. The more you practice this, the more natural it will become and before long you will find yourself wishing people happiness subconsciously. Research suggests that people who wish kindness on others, feel more happiness themselves, and so it's a real win-win situation.
Empathy also enables us to build trusting relationships with others, as listening and understanding helps us to establish a close connection. As we all know, relationships are nothing without trust, and so by being more sincere, kind and open we are able to build stronger relationships at home and at work. Remember that other people are human beings just like you, who have feelings just like you, like to be listened to and understood just like you, and want to be happy just like you.
A good exercise for buidling trust and establishing close relationships is 'Empathetic Listening'. One person listens intently to another person (as in with mindful listening) but instead of listening just for content, also listen for feelings and emotions. When the person has finished talking, say back to them what you heard them say and how you think that makes them feel. This is an exercise I have tried at home as I live in a houseshare with 6 other people. They all work long days and to have someone listen to them at the end of the day, about the good and the bad, really helps them to feel good and for us to establish strong connections. It is a practice I look forward to using more during EDA to help build and maintain, kind and trusting relationships.
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
- Stephen R. Covey
So here's to wishing kindness and happiness to others.
Thanks for reading,
