After our summer break, we’re restarting our Exploring Humanism online discussions starting on October 6. We’ve been working through the AHA’s Ten Commitments and we’re picking up with the Humanist value of Empathy. See full details on our Exploring Humanism page.
For discussion: “I will consider other people’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.”
Empathy means entering imaginatively into another’s situation in an attempt to understand their experience as though we are experiencing it ourselves. Empathy requires us to step outside of our own perspective to consider someone else’s thoughts, feelings, or circumstance from that person’s point of view. In many ways, empathy is the first step to ethical behavior as it allows us to respond compassionately to the suffering of others and exercise good judgment when our actions may affect someone else. Understanding another’s perspective is not only critical to building better relationships, but also makes us better citizens in our local and global communities. Empathy promotes tolerance, consideration, and compassion amongst us all.
