Understanding, Observation and Empathy
Humans only truly understand themselves and their experiences. Everything else is an extrapolation. Say one is walking down the street and one sees a man hit on the head with a brick. One imagines that it hurts. How does one know? Well, one has been hit with similar objects to that brick in the past and that hurt. One also assumes that other people are similar to themselves. Other people walk, speak and react and the individual walks, speaks and reacts. Empathy is established. So much so in fact that one cringes when they see others in pain.
In addition to empathy, we have objective observation. In the past, one has seen that when other individuals are hit with objects, they express pain. This fact is confirmed in discussions with other people, books and movies. Even if one had never experienced pain in their life and is unable to empathize with others, a minimally observant person would still know that a brick on the head causes pain much in the same way we know a hole in the head causes death.
Empathy and observation guide us constantly, but each has a weakness. Observation is limited in that one can only judge situations that they have seen before. Empathy can handle new experiences, but people are often unlike us and empathy can create a misunderstanding of a situation. The Golden Rule only goes so far. When people are unlike what one has seen before and unlike oneself, there is true confusion.
Observation is perhaps more useful in our daily humdrum lives. With our vocation, we have a way we would like to do work, but there is an appropriate way to handle oneself in the professional environment that is only learned through observation. In relationships, we often feel one way about how the interaction should be, but only through observation do we understand that it is not appropriate. Our likes and dislikes do not necessarily apply to others and the only way to discover this is to observe the world (trial and error, someone telling you, observing other people’s interactions). One may like to put projects off, but one needs to understand that others do not. One may like to play video games rather than talk, but one needs to understand that others do not.
Observation covers for empathy’s failures, but empathy also covers for observation’s failures. Observation creates stereotypes, stagnation and an impersonal environment. New life can be infused in a situation by violating tradition and speaking with candor. Of course, this attempt at empathy can also lead to disaster.
But this is the fundamental gamble one makes any time they reveal their true self. By going with the status quo that one observes, one will produce a stable and mildly successful outcome. By switching to empathy, one will either make a true connection and really understand something or one will produce alienation
In addition to empathy, we have objective observation. In the past, one has seen that when other individuals are hit with objects, they express pain. This fact is confirmed in discussions with other people, books and movies. Even if one had never experienced pain in their life and is unable to empathize with others, a minimally observant person would still know that a brick on the head causes pain much in the same way we know a hole in the head causes death.
Empathy and observation guide us constantly, but each has a weakness. Observation is limited in that one can only judge situations that they have seen before. Empathy can handle new experiences, but people are often unlike us and empathy can create a misunderstanding of a situation. The Golden Rule only goes so far. When people are unlike what one has seen before and unlike oneself, there is true confusion.
Observation is perhaps more useful in our daily humdrum lives. With our vocation, we have a way we would like to do work, but there is an appropriate way to handle oneself in the professional environment that is only learned through observation. In relationships, we often feel one way about how the interaction should be, but only through observation do we understand that it is not appropriate. Our likes and dislikes do not necessarily apply to others and the only way to discover this is to observe the world (trial and error, someone telling you, observing other people’s interactions). One may like to put projects off, but one needs to understand that others do not. One may like to play video games rather than talk, but one needs to understand that others do not.
Observation covers for empathy’s failures, but empathy also covers for observation’s failures. Observation creates stereotypes, stagnation and an impersonal environment. New life can be infused in a situation by violating tradition and speaking with candor. Of course, this attempt at empathy can also lead to disaster.
But this is the fundamental gamble one makes any time they reveal their true self. By going with the status quo that one observes, one will produce a stable and mildly successful outcome. By switching to empathy, one will either make a true connection and really understand something or one will produce alienation
posted by American Dilettante at
2:20 PM
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