Word of the week- Empathy

The noun empathy means the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.

In today’s post I’m focusing on my word of the week, empathy. Are you an empathic person? Continue reading for two videos and an article on the subject.

If you’d like to book a conversation class with me to talk about this topic then come and say hello :)

Empathy vs Sympathy

Empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of another person while sympathy is a feeling of sadness or pity for another person. In this short film, research professor, lecturer and author, Brené Brown discusses the difference between empathy and sympathy.

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Empathy Museum

Empathy museum was set up in 2015 and includes a series of art installations and podcasts which aim to help us view the world through the perspectives of others and tackle global challenges such as prejudice, conflict and inequality.

Empathy Museum doesn’t have a fixed home and its travelling installations have popped up all over the world from Brazil to Siberia. You can find out more about the museum here.

The museum’s project, A Mile In My Shoes was a weekly podcast and a travelling shoe shop featuring over 350 pairs of shoes and audio stories. Visitors had the opportunity to walk a mile in someone else's shoes by temporarily exchanging their footwear for a pair in the museum's collection. While walking, visitors listen to a story about the shoe owner's life through a pair of headphones. You can find out more about the pop-up shoe shop in this short video.

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Walk a mile in his shoes

The expression to Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes means that before judging someone, you should try to understand their life experiences and consider the challenges they have faced. The expression is a reminder that we never truly know what someone else may be going through and we should practise empathy

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Finally in this article from The Guardian you can find out how recent research suggests that imaginary play can help foster empathy in children.

Playing with dolls helps children talk about how others feel, says study

Research suggests playing imaginary games can aid development of social skills and empathy- The Guardian 06/02/22