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%COMPASSION-UNDERSTANDING-EMPATHY 780718
We need a word or short phrase to stand for
"faithfully imagining yourself to be in another person's
situation, perceiving their situation as they perceive it,
and feeling as they feel in response to their situation".
"Understand" has excessively intellectual connotations.
"Comprehend" has an excessively "from outside of"
connotation. "Sympathize" connotes a sharing in the
feelings and interests or distress of another---with
rather little emphasis upon the holistic perception and/or
intellectual understanding of the other person. Much the
same is true of "empathize" as is true of "sympathize".
The word needs to connote a process of appreciating
the other person's state of being---as if you were in it
yourself, a genuine familiarity with how it would be to be
in the other person's situation. Only a perceptive person
who is acquainted with the other's type of situation can
do this. There must be a high level of awareness of
others, not a preoccupation with self or non-personal
concerns.
The word needs to be non-committal regarding
agreement or judgment, lest dichotomies be encouraged
through the use of the word. There need to be a
suggestion that decisions and action will be in a parallel
paths. There may be love, affection, and affirmation---
without becoming alike. We may affirm another's response
without agreeing with it, or supporting it. The word
needs to connote love, affirmation, and affection---
without positive or negative judgment.
"Pity" has some of the needed connotations---but
suggests a response on the part of someone outside the
other's situation, not necessarily deep insight into the
other's situation. Much the same is true of
"commiseration" and "condolence".
"Compassion" and "empathy" probably come the closest
to the needed set of connotations---but as in the case of
"sympathy" they tend to lack the connotation of a deep
insight into and understanding of the situation of the
other. If we do not have a word that points to an
essential act, we may not act in that way.
(c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in
www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty
(On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)
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