What is real empathy like?

I stumbled across this little 2 min. animated video this week from a speech by Brene Brown and is a must watch. It’s one of the best illustrations that I’ve ever seen on the difference between empathy and sympathy.

I’ve never been much of an emotional person. Empathy, therefore, has been a hard place for me to find inside myself. Seeing it laid out so visually here, helps me know better how to accomplish that.
(Don’t see the video? Click HERE.)

It reminds me of a church womens class that I sat in years ago where the teacher shared her experience of having a handicapped son die and the different things that people said to her at the viewing/funeral. Her lesson was all about “what to say” to someone who has gone through something truly challenging. I was surprised by her simple answer, saying that the most comforting thing someone could say to her was simply, “I’m so sorry.” and to hug her, or stay with her, or just be with her. Too often, we I try to help a situation by finding a solution or finding the silver lining. When truly, empathy is about connecting.

bwselfie Brooke Snow delights in the pursuit of a meaningful life. Sign up for her FREE e course “Living A Thriving Life” to learn more about how to find true balance in your life. Brooke lives in Northern Utah with her calm husband, adventurous 5 year old son and bouncy baby girl.

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *