Empathy

For me empathy is the ability to see the world the way other sees it and understand that.  As my Buddhist meditation teachers say real love is to sense the joy in others and the feel happy that they are joyful. This leads to their inner peace and harmony.

Empathy let’s us think others have reasons for being in a hurry, such as cutting us off in traffic. It can be simply talking to someone or giving to a worthy cause without asking too many questions. It really means we are listening to what is occurring around us and not just concerned about ourselves.

Several years ago I was in Spanish speaking Bogota, Colombia, and I had had a meeting run an hour over time, it was dark, and I was feeling very lost – I got a call as I exited the lift – the white car on the corner is waiting for you. It was an Uber before we had Uber in Australia. Someone speaking English opened the door and said – Hi Paul, I am taking you to your hotel. We arrived and being Uber it had been paid. This person who ordered the Uber really felt for my situation. I will be grateful for a long time and I do tell the story regularly.

Empathy for me means more than thinking – it is a call to action – the action may be a call saying no more than thinking of you – it is giving of yourself but generally not in a major monetary sense.

Paul Raftery / www.paulraftery.com.au