I think that (imperfectly but meaningfully) understanding how life is for someone else is very feasible though empathy and contact and learning. But it also seems to be important to have humility, always expressing one's understandings tentatively with willingness to deepen or modify one's understanding, rather than being overly confide…
I think that (imperfectly but meaningfully) understanding how life is for someone else is very feasible though empathy and contact and learning. But it also seems to be important to have humility, always expressing one's understandings tentatively with willingness to deepen or modify one's understanding, rather than being overly confident. It's easy for somebody to feel misunderstood or even to feel like their pain is being trivialized by what lands as only a superficial understanding.
And awareness of that tension and balance is part of effective empathy in itself.
That said, at times a person does not want to be "understood" and does not want empathy; for example, they may want power or some other outcome. The space of crossing racial lines with empathy is particularly strewn with mines, thanks to the neo-progressive reframing of differences as inherently conflicting view of what is "right" or "true". Accepting diversity of viewpoint is not one of their strong suits.
I think that (imperfectly but meaningfully) understanding how life is for someone else is very feasible though empathy and contact and learning. But it also seems to be important to have humility, always expressing one's understandings tentatively with willingness to deepen or modify one's understanding, rather than being overly confident. It's easy for somebody to feel misunderstood or even to feel like their pain is being trivialized by what lands as only a superficial understanding.
And awareness of that tension and balance is part of effective empathy in itself.
That said, at times a person does not want to be "understood" and does not want empathy; for example, they may want power or some other outcome. The space of crossing racial lines with empathy is particularly strewn with mines, thanks to the neo-progressive reframing of differences as inherently conflicting view of what is "right" or "true". Accepting diversity of viewpoint is not one of their strong suits.