Empathy is ‘the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within in a specific situation.’ Decades of research hints at different types of Empathy; Cognitive, Perspective, Emotional, Compassionate, Somatic and Spiritual.
In my view, Empathy is Resonance. Empathy is the function of Attunement (Feeling In). Empathy is the capacity to be aware of another person, animal, Thing or Nature without the dependence or reliance on deduction, understanding, measuring expressions or inference from outward manifestations.
Mind of unborn baby and Mother communicate through Empathic transfer of emotions and feelings. Their Minds resonate through the process of simultaneous awareness. With Birth, there is separation, brief periods of alienation are felt, but Empathy is maintained usually. The Bonding of the Nurturer and Neonate is lived this way, instinctively. Not just in Humans; Animals, Birds, Trees, and nearly every part of Nature has this ability. This ability is the basis of Oneness.
Why do Humans lose this Gift, though some retain this capacity in parts and call it ‘Gut Feeling’?
Unconditional Love is the Luminary Source of Empathy in the Universe (Spiritual).
Terms and Conditions diminish Universal Empathy, but it is possible to exercise Perspective based Empathy (Intellectual).
Emotions and Feelings can be synchronized by sharing and tuning in mutual affections (Emotional).
Compassion drives us to understand another through their Cognitive Expressions and invoke Reason to address and untangle enmeshed emotions and feelings. (Cognitive)
Relational empathy involves drawing upon our own parallel experiences (Co-Relational) in Human Life. Sympathy is experienced first and can be transcended to gain Empathy of Re-Cognition (Humanistic).
Has Human Life evolved from being naturally empathic creation to sympathy faking forms? How can Trauma be inflicted? How would Abuse be possible? How would exploitation be carried out? How did we become Spectators and Audience to keep score of statistics and Breaking News, every day? Does a Dash of Hope Need an Ocean of Love to start an Empathic Action of Change?
Empathic gaps and Vacuums clean the wickets of Honesty in our Society; The Game Waits for the Dice of Messiah..!!
Very relevant emotion, one of the best ways of eliminating conflicts and being understanding to others needs. Nicely put across details on why humans lose this gift!
Well stated.
You make a good point about cognitive thinking/reasoning affecting empathy. When thoughts are exploited externally for any reason or experience, they become “corrupted” for lack of a better word, and empathy becomes less natural. Building resilience to negative experiences and having a moral compass is a luxury for most people given how circumstances test them.
Incisive observation. Current state of Society and Human Sensibilities keep creating testing circumstances and another word for Society, seems Adversity. Building resilience and maintaining it (like computer security firewalls) takes a lot of Mind’s energies. Maintaining Moral compass becomes a Luxury for most of us, when exploitation becomes a norm than exception.
Empathy (like Love) is an Innate ability, Inborn feature; not acquired through experiences. Negative experiences and their Negative impacts on our Cognition and Reasoning, “disrupts” the flow and awareness of Empathy. Universal Empathy, first Heals us from the Trauma of Negative Impacts.
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