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
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.
Embrace fresh perspectives for today's tasks. Swift communication and empathy can mitigate misunderstandings. Tackle one problem at a time with patience.
This iconic photograph marks the end of the career of Matador Álvaro Munero. In the midst of the battle, he suddenly repented and sat down at the edge of the field. Subsequently, in an interview, Alvaro said: “Suddenly I saw not horns, but the eyes of a bull. He stood in front of me and started looking at me. Just stood and watched, making no attempt to attack. The innocence that is in the eyes of all animals looks towards me with a plea for help. It was like a cry for justice and somewhere deep inside me, I suddenly realized that he was addressing me in the same way we address God in prayer: “I don't want to fight you, please leave me, Because I have done nothing wrong to you. You can kill me if you want, kill me if you want, but I do not want to fight with you." And I, reading it in his eyes, felt like the worst creature on earth and hindered the war. After that I became a vegetarian and stopped fighting bullfights. " This story was published in 2012. #vegan#vegetarian#empathy
New research shows how #empathy can be socially transmitted
Children and adults can adopt empathic responses from close caregivers in addition to their genetic predispositions. Adults, too, are malleable and can learn to be more or less #compassionate through observing others.
When a person living with #dementia asks the same question repeatedly, listen to the question differently and you may learn more about the needs underlying the question itself.
Growing up, Mimi felt ashamed because she wasn’t like other #girls, but a chance discovery at 21 changed that. >>>
When she was first told about the enzyme deficiency, she says she was "reassured that I was...a girl, but that I just couldn't do the things that typical girls could do. I was also told that I couldn't tell my siblings or friends about this."
The Moon in Cancer harmonizes with today's readings, emphasizing care and heartfelt action. With the Sun in Pisces, we're urged to embrace empathy and understand deeper truths. Leviticus calls for integrity; Matthew champions service to others.
Action: Engage in acts of kindness, reflecting inner growth and compassion encouraged by cosmic energies. This nurtures self & community.
I'm far too fascinated with far too many topics. I've compiled an exhaustive list of hashtags for some of those interests; I'll try to do better about keeping it current and updated.
A powerful reminder to those of us who do not have #dementia to continue seeing and focusing on the whole person, to support #disabilities while respecting and embracing abilities.
#Mastodon has a veneer of civility to it, but the lack of #empathy here is astounding—and from people who should know better, too. I’m growing tired of this echo chamber that, with all its calls for inclusion, still thrives on lumping people together and demonizing them. The #fediverse was my last hope for #SocialMedia, but maybe the whole concept is just a bad idea. It’s too easy to dehumanize people because we’re, ultimately, talking at each other through machines—not with each other.