Learn To Empathize
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others eyes for an instant?”-Henry David Thoreau
Sometimes we feel like no one understands us, we are trying to make a point and the other person ends up misunderstanding us. Even how much we try to make others understand how we feel but nothing helps. It’s because they can’t feel what we feel.
Sometimes the same happens to us when we are unable to connect with another person. How hard they try to make us understand it goes in vain.
It’s all because nowadays we are unable to empathize with others. Or maybe we have become so much emotionally distant that we even do not try to feel what others are going through. Because it’s not easy to stand in someone else’s shoes and see the world through their eyes.
You might think that’s not true but maybe it is. We all know how things are nowadays where people are busy with their problems. They don’t have much time to listen and feel others’ dilemmas.
As time is passing by we are becoming more self-absorbed and materialistic. We can have a huge list of our problems and want people to empathize with us but what about us? are we able to do the same?
We have become more robotic rather than more human. We have forgotten the importance of emotions like love and compassion. And to understand other emotions we first need to learn how to empathize. You cannot find a solution to a problem unless you’re able to understand the problem completely.
So what is it like to empathize? It is to feel how others feel, to understand them at an innate level, to be honest with them, and most importantly to be honest with yourself.
It’s the essence of humanity and the foundation of many emotions like love, hate, and compassion. It helps us to understand things better and were able to see things from someone else’s perspective.
When we empathize with others we allow ourselves to be free of the emotional restraints, we come to learn that it’s normal to be expressive and it’s so much relieving when someone can connect with you at an emotional level.
We learn how to be more human and become selfless. It’s not something you’re taught. It’s something that comes naturally, a little voice in your head tells you to help someone in need. Maybe you’re able to somehow relate with them. There’s no rocket science to it, it’s something so common we are all going through the same problems daily in our lives. But we don’t talk about them with each other.
If we try to relate there are so many things we can talk about and develop an understanding with others to empower and inspire one another. We all are in dire need of empathy. If we want others to understand our circumstances and be helpful we have to take the initial step. Things cannot be one way.
“The nature of humanity, its essence is to feel another’s a pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, and grace in forgiveness”-John Connolly
So let’s see how we can empathize with others and develop an understanding with them;
- Don’t force yourself to feel something.
- Be honest with yourself if you don’t pretend like you can connect with them when you cant.
- Be a good listener and do not interrupt the conversation.
- Be relaxed and try to make them feel comfortable.
- Give your honest opinion to them. Maybe you might find a solution to their problem.
- Assure them that you have plenty of time and they can take their time to cry their heart out.
- When you feel like you can help someone don’t give it a second thought go for it.
- Sometimes little words of encouragement are enough to make someone’s day.
- Don’t hold grudges, because when you hold a grudge against someone you are not able to connect with them. Most likely you hold them responsible for their problems.
- When you see injustice and no one is stepping forward don’t just be a spectator show some courage and take a stand for them.
- Don’t draw your conclusions until you’ve listened to what others have to say.
- If you understand and you show that you can understand the solution to many problems become clearer.
When you empathize with others you are not just helping them, you are helping yourself to be a better person. You might not realize it but people will respect you more. You will become an inspiration and motivation for others. Your relationships will blossom. You become more patient and less judgemental. You will learn how to accept things and how to overcome your shortcomings.
Thank you for your time and for reading it. If you have any piece of advice I’ll be more than happy to hear it. Do give me your feedback. If you want to encourage me to produce better writing, please follow me to show your support.
