Empathy is a concept that, nowadays, is hard to come by. For anyone unfamiliar with the term empathy and what exactly the concept is, it is, in my own words, the ability to read someone’s mood and/or emotions and be mindful of both when engaging with them. Put simply, it is the ability to ‘feel’ for someone, as in if someone is feeling down, you, too, are able to feel their displeasure.
Empathy and sympathy are two separate entities – sympathy is the act of feeling sorry, or badly, for someone and an unfortunate situation they find themselves in. Empathy is literally knowing what they are feeling.
You may have heard of someone being able to read others well, meaning when they first lay eyes on a new person, they are able to, based on their body language and behaviour, garner an accurate idea of what sort of the person is without even knowing them on a personal level. I firmly believe empathy and people-reading coincide with one another, and if you’re able to do one, there is a strong chance you can successfully do the latter.
I consider empathy to be an effective and valuable tool, believe it or not. Hear me out; when we express empathy toward someone, there is a strong probability that they’re going to receive your empathy in a positive manner. If anything, they will probably feel relief to know someone else has experienced what they are, and once this understanding between you is established, trust is earned. From trust comes flourishment in multiple aspects, so perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to practice empathy somewhere like the workplace to solidify some important connections and relationships. It might prove to be worthwhile down the road.
Empathy is something we should all strive to possess and exhibit. It is a powerful, and wonderful thing.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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