Tips for Stress free life  >  Expert Zone   > Inspirational

       Inspirational Tips by experts


A Global Empathy Deficit- 2 Lessons


"...We've got a budget deficit that's important, we've got a trade deficit that's critical, but what I worry most is our empathy deficit." - Interview in O Magazine with Barack Obama.

Perhaps this is not only a US national concern but a global crisis: people are dividing into camps and fighting one another with no mention of sitting down to dialogue.

We, as global human beings living on a shrinking planet, have to stop the insanity, start talking, and stop the fighting.

The fighting is not only among warring nations. It goes on in corporations, small businesses, between entrepreneurs, in schools, in neighborhoods, and in families. There is a lack of talking, listening, and empathizing between people. This is especially true when they are different from us in some way.

We lose patience with others not like us or not of the same viewpoint. We stop listening. And consequently, we lose our ability to understand and find solutions.

We are missing opportunities for talking and dialoguing about what really matters. Dialoguing of course means listening and hearing what the other person is saying. It is not a monologue. It requires more than listening-it requires empathy.

Lesson # 1 in Empathy

Empathy has several ingredients. Most people understand empathy to be "walking in someone else's shoes." It is more than that. Information when communicated to us by another human being is processed through the limbic system in the brain, the center for emotions and memory.

The trick here is not to get lost in our own memories and emotions. This requires self-management so quick that it is out of our awareness. We sense that the reason we feel sad that our neighbor is telling us that their dog died is that we have also experienced loss and know what it must be like for them.

To summarize, lesson #1 of empathy has several parts:

  • Take in information

  • Process your personal emotional reactions

  • Reorient yourself to the person and what they are saying

  • Self-manage personal reactions and memories

  • Ask questions such as, "Tell me more," and "How does that feel for you?"

  • Don't assume that what they are feeling and experiencing is similar to your experiences

  • Ask more open-ended questions, such as, "And??" or, "What else?"

  • Just listen

  • Refrain from trying to fix things before step #2

    Lesson #2 of Empathy

    People usually have a tendency to jump in and want to do something to help too soon. They want to get out of their own discomfort by solving the problem. Often they don't take the time to really understand what the real problem is before offering solutions. This is how many people come across as NOT being empathetic, when they actually are. They respond too quickly with the wrong solutions.

    So, the next important step after lesson #1 (feel the feelings and just listen), is to communicate back to the person that you are hearing them on a deep and personal level.

    Simply state back to the person some of what you've heard, without interpretation or distortion. This communication requires a deep and honest caring about how other people feel, avoiding judgments and any attempts to minimize the importance of feelings or offering advice.

    Like so much, empathy begins with developing ourselves individually, permeates our families and is taught to our children, and then must be communicated with the leaders we entrust to deal with other countries. A continued lack of empathy will result in global degradation.

    2004 Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.
    Customized Newsletter Services

    About The Author

    This is a synopsis of a longer article available for your use with full reprint rights upon purchase. This synopsis is only available when you include the resource box:

    Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., CBC, is a psychologist, executive coach, and writer. She customizes newsletters for life and executive coaches, providing both content and PDF and HTML ezines for busy professionals. Patsi lives and works from Ajijic, Mexico where she plays tennis daily, and enjoys other creative activities with her husband Rob and two Maine Coon cats, Huey and Dewey. Email patsi@customizednewsletters.com.

    For more articles, subscribe to Newsletter Nuggets and BizBook Nuggets, at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=86914.

    For more information visit http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=86911.

    For notes, quotes & tips on writing coach ezines, visit Patsi's weblog: www.coachezines.com.

    Secrets of Successful Ezines available for immediate download at www.customizednewsletters.com.


    MORE RESOURCES:

    See the complete list of Articles on Inspiration here

    Have a look at Best Selling Books on Inspiration

     

    Google

    See also : Other articles on

    Depression, Grief-loss, Elder Care Relationships
    Inspiration, Inspirational, Motivation,
    Positive Attitude
    ,  Meditation, Spirituality


     

    Latest info on : Inspiration

     


    Tatenda Tavaziva's journey to and at UMHB an inspirational story
    Killeen Daily Herald, TX - 1 hour ago
    Tatenda Tavaziva attends a football game at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The current student body president arrived at the school in January 2005 ...


    500 $1 return airfares for inspirational Kiwis
    Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand - 12 hours ago
    Well, we want to show our Aussie friends what makes us Kiwis special by giving away 500 $1 return fares to inspirational Kiwis making a difference in our ...


    New York Times

    A ball of inspirational predictability
    Surrey Now,  Canada - Oct 10, 2008
    ... Gary Fleder's extensive use of close-ups. Inspirational? Check. Predictable? Yep. But The Express is a safe bet for sports fans and non-cynics alike.
    Football drama a genuine inspirational tale Chicago Daily Herald
    The Express Box Office Prophets
    Review: The Express College Times
    Film Threat - Lake County News
    all 471 news articles


    Marriage supporters' fundraiser brings inspirational film ...
    Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD - Oct 11, 2008
    Moviegoers can credit a group interested in promoting healthy marriages for bringing the inspirational movie "Fireproof" to Sioux Falls for a weeklong ...


    Calgary Herald

    A new generation of icky, angsty, inspirational books for teens ...
    Calgary Herald,  Canada - Oct 10, 2008
    Sure, they text and they Twitter and they play way too much Wii. But all those twitchy, tormented adolescent souls are still able to lose--and then ...


    A new generation of icky, angsty, inspirational books for teens ...
    Calgary Herald,  Canada - Oct 10, 2008
    by Hunter S. Thompson In high school my best buddy Gavin and I fancied ourselves literary snobs. We read Dostoevsky--he was our favourite--and Tolstoy and ...


    'Inspirational' Blackburn mum-of-seven dies, 34
    Lancashire Telegraph, UK - Oct 11, 2008
    By Catherine Pye » Four weeks ago she was given six months to live. Charmaine had drawn up a wish list of things she wanted to do with her final days, ...


    'Without a Quarter in My Pocket': New Memoir Chronicles Cuban ...
    MarketWatch - Oct 8, 2008
    SALEM, Ill., Oct 08, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dr. Secundino E. Rubio's life is a series of inspirational stories. From his childhood in pre-Castro ...


    Inspirational Speaker Teaches Students the Value of “Zing!”
    St. John's University, NY - Oct 10, 2008
    ... Your Influence and was featured in the motivational speaker compilation Lessons from the Road: Inspirational Insights by Leading Speakers in Education. ...


    SkySports

    Moyes inspired by Robson
    The Press Association - 5 hours ago
    David Moyes has admitted he once felt he may have spent "too long" at Everton - but changed his mind after an "inspirational" talk from Sir Bobby Robson. ...
    Moyes - I Almost Quit Goal.com
    Moyes admits to quit thoughts Clubcall
    SIR BOBBY TALKED ME OUT OF QUITTING GOODISON PARK Daily Star
    all 165 news articles

    Inspirational - Google News

     

    Why not be an expert yourself  ?

     If you can write on any of the above topic, you are welcome to submit your
     articles in our database :

     Submit your article here   Our Article Area

  • You are here Home > Tips for Stress free Life > Expert Zone > Inspirational Tips


    | Inspirational Tips Home | Inspirational Tips - Complete list 

    | Main Home | | Meditation Corner

                    |Health Tips  | Workplace Tips  | Soul Tips  |Expert Zone  |

    Recommend us  |

     Books, DVDs and accessories on meditation & yoga  |

    [About us] [Contact] [Privacy Policy]

    Copyright 2006, Meditation is Easy.com, All rights reserved