Troy Lamerton

Empathy and perspective

9 May 2016

Empathy is about understanding another person. Being empathetic means to feel what another person is feeling. The chapter I read this week provided a few ways it claims will increase your empathy. I tried the loving kindness meditation.

After calming myself with mindful breathing, I started by visualising the person I would direct kindness towards. This was the easiest part for me. The rest of the meditation was directing kindness towards this person, based on the assumption that they are 'just like me'. I didn't experience a feeling of kindness I just felt calm. Despite following the instructions, I felt like I had done something wrong because there was no feeling of happiness that the author said most people feel afterwards. I may try 'directing kindness' towards people that I have had disagreements with, maybe that will work better.

Political Awareness exercise
Remembered scenario: I was arguing with my dad about stopping my university study. I wanted to leave university and pursue a career as an esports shoutcaster.
As if I was 100% right: I don't enjoy university it doesn't make sense to continue something I don't enjoy. It is a good idea to pursue something I am passionate about even if it is a risky path to take. University will always be there, I'll remember most of what I've learnt and can come back to it at anytime.
As if my dad was 100% right: You don't know anyone that's made a career out of this. The more time you're away from university study the harder it will be to come back to it. Even if you don't enjoy university now, that could change once you get further into your degree. University study provides a clear path from studying to getting a job, there is no clear path for an esports shoutcaster to get a job.

The exercise above showed me how both people can be saying true and reasonable things and still conflict with each other. The reason there is conflict is because in coming to a decision, one person is valuing a construct that is opposed to what the other person is valuing. A situation has arisen where what one person values must decrease for what the other wants to increase.