Empathy- Let Me Walk in Your Shoes

By: Bradley Binversie

When you see a homeless person have you ever stopped to wonder what has happened to this person that they ended up in this position? Do they have no one that cares about them? Are they using drugs? lazy? Raised in foster care? Most likely it’s a complicated and unique answer for each individual.

I’m actively trying to practice empathy more intentionally in my life. Our entire lives are viewed through our own eyes, our own experiences, and our own thoughts. So to understand someone else’s point of view and feelings is difficult if we don’t pause and intentionally do so.

To me, empathy means that I’m going to try to put myself in the other person’s shoes. What are they feeling? Why do they feel this way? What experiences may have led them to think this way? Doing a thoughtful introspection helps me to calm my mind and think about things in a significantly deeper, more rational way. It may not change my opinions or beliefs on a subject, but I can least recognize that others see things differently than I do.

There world is very complex, yet our brains seek simplification and clarity. Black and White. Right and Wrong, Black and White, If X then Y. But the world is often shades of gray and right or wrong can sometimes a point of view. Empathy helps us recognize this and like most valuable principles, empathy, can be used in many areas of life.

People and Relationships: Ever disagree or have a different opinion than your spouse? Try putting yourself in his/her shoes. Your Kids? Employees or co-workers? How do they see the world differently than you do?

Different political points of view? I seriously doubt the political environment would be as polarized and emotionally charged if empathy was regularly practiced. We might not change our minds, but we could at least understand why someone believes what they do.

Different Cultures and Religions: Different parts of the world have different beliefs and points view that are shaped by many complexities such as their history, geography ect. As I am writing this, the World Cup is going on in Qatar. Qatar has very different point of view on their life, government, and freedoms than most of the Western World. Is it possible based on their religion, history, ect that they may see the world differently? Same thing with Communist China and countless other examples.

One thing I am certain of, there is no monopoly on happiness and that multiple points of view can exist. Life is complex and practicing empathy on a regular basis has been helpful to me so that I might better understand the thoughts and feelings of others.