Simplify Your Relationships - Choose Empathy
Empathy is a skill often talked about, but rarely used. The ability to put oneself in someone else's situation and comprehend their perspective is Empathy. Empathy has the capacity to alter the dynamics of our tense relationships. We all seek empathy from others, yet it is difficult for us to practice it, especially if we have had a negative interaction with the individual in the past. In such circumstances, we are more likely to try to provide the other person with the same experience that they gave us in the past.
But to bring about change, this cycle of negative interactions must be broken somewhere.
Relationships may be made better via empathy on both a personal and professional level. You won't regret it if you make a deliberate effort to pause before reacting and put away all of your previous experiences and sentiments. People commonly believe that by empathizing with someone, they are elevating the other person to a position of power, which is not the case. You do not cede your authority to the other person by empathetically responding to them.
In fact, taking a moment to reflect and change your response
would make you feel content.
Sometimes we are so preoccupied with our own problems that we lose sight of those of others. No other issue is more pressing for us than our own. Perhaps we have a strong opinion about someone and believe that they are always wrong. We reject the idea that people evolve with age, experience, and time. Humans are adaptable and capable of change at any age. It has been proven that the person we are today has a lot to do with our primitive years, experiences, and circumstances which we had little influence over. We grew up organically adjusting to our surroundings.
So, dismissing or undervaluing the individual you are interacting with is unfair.
Remember that you do not entirely understand the other person, whether they be your spouse, kid, closest friend, or coworker. Everyone here is going through something. So be compassionate and understanding.
Before you react or make a judgment, take a step back and look at the same circumstance from a different lens.
Your response and decision will almost definitely shift. And from there, a new outlook and more solid connections will emerge.
