Empathy can be perceived as a double-edged sword. It offers the gift of understanding and relating to others, yet it also brings forth a keen awareness of our own and others' fragility.
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| Bobbi and the Strays is an animal care Non-profit in Queens, New York that places pets with caring adults and families. (image credit: Greig Roselli) |
Empathy emerges when we recognize our own fragility. This recognition of our vulnerability often leads us to realize that others may share similar experiences of fragility because, just like us, they are mortal. This shared sense of fragility may result in a comforting realization that we are not alone.
However, we are often in conflict with this reality. There's a part of us that resists acknowledging this fragility. Instead, we seek to safeguard our vulnerabilities, essentially becoming protective of our emotional state. This duality of recognition and resistance is what makes empathy a complex emotional experience.
Let's translate this into a relatable context such as a classroom. There might be moments when we feel vulnerable yet safe, as in the case of an older student taking care of a younger one. On the contrary, there may also be instances when we feel vulnerable and instinctively wish to shield ourselves, especially in environments where we feel unsafe.
In the photograph above, I was in a park in Queens and discovered Bobbi & the Strays, a New York City-based non-profit that places animals with caring adults and families in the city. It is like the ASACP but with intentionality.
Do you think the classroom is the right place to discuss and implement empathy-based care? In the pet shelter? In the office or courtroom?
What if empathy became the litmus test for assessing who is competent and who is not in their job or role or position. That would certainly change everything. Instead of status or privilege or worse power people are instead assessed by their virtues, espcially how they practice empathy or not.
Of course — empathy is a delicate balance between recognizing our own vulnerability, understanding the fragility in others, and managing our innate desire to protect ourselves. It's a profound human experience that shapes our interactions in personal, professional, and educational settings.
Check out the Stones of Erasmus teaching product on this topic:
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