Showing true empathy, a different point of view

Art work By Leanne M Gardner 

Leanne M Gardner, Photography, Painting and Sculpture

www.leannemgardner.com

Empathy (Showing it may be more difficult)

I read a piece tonight How to Be Truly Empathetic

www.huffingtonpost.com and thought I would look into it further,  I thought it had the best of intentions, to express to others something that he became sensitive to, and possibly learned a valuable lesson and he wanted to share that lesson, So I read his piece.    I found that in writing your own expression is not enough, it should have good foundation and actually have more to it than just your own thought (it should be given some sort of investigating, to have a well rounded taste for all to share and show a deep responsibility to the reader)  don't get me wrong he did think about his reader but I felt there could have been more for better clarity.               

 Not to be too judgmental and harshly tare his piece down or apart, but I would like to add to it some insight of my own.     The word empathy similarly means – to show compassion, or sympathy, or even just show understanding.      We can use those words to start to internalize the meaning and show empathy but the act is simple and can be of two parts, 1) we should start with just listening why? Because that is just what we will always start with, but do just that and nothing else “Listen”!    I believe that the meaning of a word should be the foundation of any explanation about it, and that gives us some Idea how to express it.  This gives the truth and value to that particular word.    So I emphasize just listening to the person, hear what they say and show some understanding, Just listen, nothing else; not even offer a solution which is what we think is the core of expressing empathy, Stop! Just listen.             Now part 2) If part one goes well and you have really earned it the person would naturally invite you to give you advice, and then ask what do you think I should do? So recap “Listen” then wait to be invited.   After you are invited to give you input the person will see you showed them some understanding and fully expressed empathy.      I believe that the word that brings us to a easy understanding of empathy is to listen or in-other words understand what it is I am saying please I really need you to ( they can to you then already they have placed trust in you and may just want to be heard) they will invite you in to help.

I wrote this piece to help mister Huffington’s post not to tare it down, I think we as writers sometimes get the emotion of a piece, and forget all of our responsibility to our reader and not investigate to be able to give our work an none-bios point of view.  Or just give a little more for clarity sake and remember that can be very hard to do.

From the Desk of Guy T Woods Sr

Poet At Large