Empathy In A Culture Of Pain
We need peace workers more than ever
Humans take four years to develop a full understanding of the distinction between self and others. This distinction is a prerequisite for empathy. Unfortunately, empathy is a “use it or lose it” skill and many humans have lost it. Yes, my that’s tongue-in-cheek humor. Now let me introduce you to the theory of mind.
If you ask a three-year-old to predict the behavior of someone, the three-year-old will make the prediction based only on what they know. They will not consider the other person’s store of knowledge.
For example, if you trick the child by pouring marbles from their favorite cereal box, they will be amazed that you tricked them. If you let them watch you put the marbles back in the box and close it, they will remember that marbles, not cereal, are in the box.
The development marker that allows the human brain to use complex thinking patterns to distinguish between self and others is critical to positive social engagement.
If you ask the three-year-old what their mother will think is in the closed cereal box when she walks in the room, what will the child say? Most three-year-olds will say “marbles.”
