"Challenge yourself: Do I really think I know what this person is feeling? Does my theory about their motivations make sense? In particularly important cases, maybe even sit down and write out your thoughts about the matter. Force yourself into slower thinking, that is. You can’t always feel your way out of a given situation." [Read Article]
"Perhaps the strongest message from the science of generosity is that the more adversity someone has experienced, the more compassion she feels and the more generous she’s likely to be. I’m reminded of this every time I see someone who looks destitute drop a few coins into a panhandler’s cup while expensively dressed commuters rush past... Someone who knows what it is to suffer also knows how outside forces can land one in deep poverty through little fault of one’s own, and how wonderful it can be to have a dollar for a McDonald’s coffee." [Read Article]
"Empathy is commonly understood to mean, ‘I know exactly how you feel because I have felt the same way myself.’ ...In reality, empathy is actually - projective self involvement. This is ultimately a form of narcissism that passes as caring. The real caring item is best described as ‘Responsiveness’... a process of emotional receptivity, by which one is directly tuned into and involved with the other person with no reference to oneself at all.... This capacity and its origins all come from maternal love. The mother responds directly to her baby’s needs without any reference to herself... This is the source of all love. [Read Article]
We’re all born with the desire to go beyond ourselves, to make a positive difference in the world, even to the point of self-sacrifice. Our capacity for empathy and conscience makes that possible.
