“Understanding” Versus “Empathizing” in Regards to Racism

The Subtle But Major Difference Between the Two

Referring to a recent essay, a question arose regarding my goal of getting people to “understand” what we black Americans are going through versus getting people to “empathize” with what we are going through. It was suggested that I “go for empathy rather than understanding.” The difference between the two is a subtle but major one that needs to be explored.

Understanding over empathy

1. Generally, most people associate understanding with the head and empathy with the heart. When I write, my strategy is to bypass emotions and first appeal to the reader’s reasoning as best I can. If my words connect reach the reader’s heart, that’s icing on the cake; and if my words move them to take action or help them to view the world with a broadened perspective (even if it’s just a little bit), that’s cause for me to celebrate.
2. Emotions can be fleeting, so I strive to tip scales towards reason with reason. I’m no psychiatrist, but it seems that in weighty matters in which people are undecided as to which point of view to hold, most people rely on reason as opposed to emotion in their final analysis. Since reason registers more with the head than with the heart (as was the appeal in my…