"Can I hug you?" was the most wonderful question I got asked today. When someone is deeply occupied with a problem and asks for help, offer them to take a walk outside and listen. No matter how long it takes. #LifeHack#Empathy
The Catalyst: Jonah Berger is good reminder of the possibility of good things, even when the gap is large. I just reread the story of Virginia who talking to a voter about Transgendered people. The voter calls them 'fags'. Virginia "I'm gay does that include me?". This turns to a discussion with the voter about their disabled spouse and being able to love anyone. By the end of conversation, the voter has changed their view. Deep listening, #empathy and #vulnerability go a long way.
#Thoraya (@ Thoraya on #youtube) is one of my favorite accounts. I always end up feeling so much #compassion and #empathy for others after watching a few of her #videos, and sometimes I'm just 😭😭😭
An autistic woman sees a news item on TV about the awful events at Bondi Junction yesterday. She sees the floral tributes, and wishes that such tributes weren’t wrapped in plastic, tied with ribbons etc, because then, when it was time, they could be swept up & composted.
That sounds totally lacking in empathy right? Why else would she be thinking about such trivial details?
I’ll tell you why. It’s because she is so distressed by the event, the fear suffered by victims at the time & since by those who survived & others who witnessed it, the loss of innocence experienced by those who have never before been so close to such an awful event, the grief suffered by those who have lost loved ones, that focussing on a practical, logistical issue is a way for her to avoid being overwhelmed by such feelings.
The next time anyone tells you that autistic people aren’t empathetic, tell them that empathy isn’t about how people look or behave, it’s about how they feel. Some autistic people are very much out of touch with their feelings, & find them very difficult to identify & articulate. Their feelings are buried very deeply within them. Some are hyper-sensitive to the suffering of others, which might be seen as being overly dramatic & making an event all about them. And the others are somewhere in between.
The fact that a person doesn’t express their feelings, or express them the way you might expect, does not mean that those feelings aren’t there. #actuallyautistic#empathy
The social norm is constructed: not naturally occurring but created by the society in which it is found.
Hence there are no actions which in themselves are inherently #abnormal or universally condemned by all societies at all times. Deviance is thus situational and contextual.
Margot Déage: "A girl who does not belong to a boy or a man can fall into the category of whore at any time, whatever her clothes or sexual practices."
Margot Déage: "Being in a position to say who’s a whore and who’s a good girl is a power in itself within the girls’ group, a power that is strongly mobilised by certain girls. The ones who can fall, in general, are the hardest on the matter."
President #Biden is heading to #Baltimore on Friday to survey the wreckage from the Francis Scott #KeyBridge that collapsed last week. In an addition to an aerial tour, Biden will get an operational update on #work being done to reopen the #PortOfBaltimore & will meet w/ #family members of those who died during the collapse, the White House said.
Jane Goodall is celebrating her 90th birthday this week and reflects upon her long (and continuing) career, sharing reflections, lessons, stories and inspirations that guide her philosophy toward protecting the natural world.
Saint Raphael the Archangel guides us in healing and protection, reflecting celestial guidance and divine intervention. Pray for empathy towards oneself and others, fostering a harmonious path.
If you show the value of a victim, you feel empathy. This increases the desire for equality but you feel bad: it endangers your health.
On the contrary, iIf you stress the mistake of a victim, you protect yourself: you feel like it should not happen to you. Society supports such detachment if the perpetrator is a white man or a police(wo)man.
Blaming the victim justifies inequality, discriminations, violence by the strongest. It normalizes (adult, white, male or cis) privileges. Therefore it normalizes patriarchy and white supremacy.
Today’s challenge: Embrace adaptability. As the day unfolds, unexpected emotional undercurrents may impact teamwork. Lead with empathy, prioritize clear communication, and stay flexible to navigate effectively.
Remember that when you debate someone else about something that impacts them more than it impacts you, it takes a greater emotional toll on them than you. This is what understanding privilege looks like.
ICYMI: April Wensel, founder of Compassionate Coding and php[tek] 2024 keynote speaker, visits PHP Architect's Community Corner! April talks with Scott Keck-Warren about why we need empathy in coding and our conferences. 🧡 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeizkN_pkyY#phptek#empathy
Today's challenge: navigating emotional undercurrents in team discussions. To succeed, practice active listening and respond with empathy to maintain a supportive environment.
This empathy, when felt and shown, can be very democratic, i.e., it doesn't exclude people/creatures who don't appear useful; who perhaps haven't succeeded well in life & who many would judge and write off.
Embrace fresh perspectives for today's tasks. Swift communication and empathy can mitigate misunderstandings. Tackle one problem at a time with patience.
Some thoughts on the problematics of empathy during times of genocide.
"Empathy, therefore, requires to some degree an investment in the system that produces the capacity for its production. The turning of persons into objects as vehicles for empathy is indeed a slippery slope. The contingency of othering as a condition for empathy contributes to the maintenance of a system that allows for genocide in the first place. So, what is to be done? How are we to relate to the suffering of others in a way that respects their authenticity, wholeness, and individual personhood?"
The downside of high bandwidth empathy, I stepped into The #Tavernn to ask someone a question, and now I need to look at pictures of cats doing goofy shit to pull me back from that mire of sadness.
🤔 I spotted Sophie Lorain in a recent Quebec production. I immediately remembered where I first loved her acting ... no, wait, all I recall is her emodiment (brilliant, bumbling, serious, relentless).
Took me ages to hunt it down: the series Fortier (2004). 30 yrs, but the image remains: wire glasses, mop of hair, black skirt, slim legs, clunky shoes. Fumbling her bag as she enters.
Sadly, since covid, such a memory no longer connects to the facts needed to provide context, as it used to 🙁
@stephanie she was irresistable. I remember nothing of the show, just the emotions she evoked. Same with Barbie ... friends recount scenes, but all I remember are impressions of moments with strong emotions!
(Which explains why I only watch films with top-notch acting - I can spot a fake emotion in an instant, & get bored. And I cannot watch anime, where there is no complex, subtle, human body language to read! Ah, finally I understand my aversion to anime.)