RE: Psychology Addict # 47 | Putting Ourselves in Other’s Shoes
First of all - glad that you are okay !
Secondly, it's not a surprise to me that you wrote an article on this topic after what you observed and in a way participated in. Being empathic is a sign of a high emotional intelligence and I personally think that it is a double-edged sword.
From one point of view being emotionally intelligent and empathic person allows you to be a good friend, family member and person in general - truly understanding other humans is a quality which would never fade away.
But from another point of view, being too empathetic could be harmful for you, as sometimes this "feeling for others" could be overwhelming, influencing your "inner and outer" aspects of your life - jumping into actions to help others without thinking about them in a rational way.
What you observed in other people's behaviour from one point of view is showing how "life goes on" no matter what. But from another it's revealing some people's emotional ignorance and in other's - carelessness. While the first could learn how to be empathetic, the second group chooses to ignore it.
It's only after we experience such situations with other people that we could see them for who they truly are.
Thank you for this article - it's been a food for the brain - as always :)
All the best to you :P
Oh! Thank you my dear @dysfunctional. It was an overwhelming 'spectacle', but no lives were lost :D
Yes! The link you made here between empathy and emotional intelligence is an essential one for this discussion. Thank you for bringing this up!
It is truly a difficult balance to find. I have come across many people (often highly agreeable or little assertive individuals) who just completely forget themselves in order to help, please or take action for others. And like you said, some of them actually got in trouble for 'over helping'. All because reason was pushed away by emotions. It is a tricky one!
Another important point you raised here is that 'life goes on'. I stated this in another reply to a comment: 'One has the tendency to judge others based on what they appear to feel'. Except that, no one other than oneself knows that. Plus, the degree of empathy with which someone responds to a particular circumstance, by no means, defines their overall moral standards or level of humanity. I suppose it is too easy just to put the emotionally-ignorant + the neglectful in the same pool!
Thank you for stopping by :)
Much love to you from Portugal!