Empathy : Why it matters and how to get it

Miseries are an inevitable part of human life. Could it be petty outrages, minor humiliations, disappointments and treacheries they are inescapable.They reiterate,in the everyday life like an old friend in a new dress. The physical miseries seem still more pathetic and claim huge trolls on our income and mental peace.

A Compassionate heart and receptive ears are real pain killers in such cramped situations. Empathetic words like, “I feel your pain”,” I understand” are magical! They seem to be rescues in  miserable conditions when heart and mind both are injured and struggling to fight out the pain.

EMPATHY: Meaning

EMPATHY is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It empowers you to step into the shoes of the other person and look at the situation from his perspective. To feel what he is feeling without getting into it. It involves sensitivity, compassion, commiseration and affinity for the other person. It helps us to connect with other people and get sensitive to the happenings around.

Empathy is generally of three types cognitive, compassionate and emotional. A Cognitive Empathy is basically to put yourself into someone else’s situation and see their perspective. A compassionate empathy is feeling someone’s pain and taking action to help. On the other hand, Emotional empathy is to feel the pain of the other and readily understand their feelings. A little work on each of them or at least one, makes us caring and sensitive to the difficulties others are facing.

 

Empathy why it matters?

 Work life or personal matters no matter what may be the situation empathy makes us understanding and sensitive. Until and unless we feel the pain of the other person, we cannot connect with him. Empathy  also lays the foundation of great social interactions. It makes us emotionally intelligent and commiserate to the situations. It provides us the right mindset for handling matters that require sensitivity and action-oriented approach.

Man is nothing,but,an emotional being.A failure to understand him is a failure to connectivity.One can never have strong social ties if he is not empathetic. We interact,convince and even  convert a man by his emotions and not  by body. He is derived by them and they tend to make life happier and worth living.

 Even big business houses need compassionate managers and staff to understand their clients. Empathy paves the path of smooth relationships and also increases the chances of client conversions. It further strengthens the bonds for future prospects and increased business growth. It further helps to build rapport and increased client support.

Empathy in Customer Service

Clients that visit our Business houses are people with different cultures,backgrounds and natures.They are divergent in needs and  carry a set of choices,however,they are driven by emotions. If we are to develop an understanding about the mindset of the client it can make a marked increase in sales volume,client satisfaction and turn over rates. Satisfied clientele is an asset for any business firm.

Therefore,we need to develop empathy,which a foundation for strong social relations. An awareness of the behaviors and sensitivity to the  feelings of the client makes him feel wanted,valued and taken care of. A combination of empathy and emotional intelligence can actually make wonders for the managers and sales team who aim at increased targeted sales.

How to get Empathetic?

Empathy is a skill that can be easily cultivated. A small effort towards it can make us more compassionate and sensitive to the problems of  people around. If we are to cultivate few habits it can bring drastic changes .

Be a good listener:

Before you speak lend your ears. Listening is a very important aspect of any communication.It helps you to get acquainted with thoughts, feelings and behaviors of other person. It is an aid to see world from their eyes. Further,it is  important in maintaining relationships.

Think before you speak:

It is a tactful act to think before speaking. It helps you to understand the world at the same time avoid situations of trouble in work and personal pursuits. It further avoids negativity and makes relations pleasant.

Understand :

To develop cognitive skills to understand people,their emotions is a must.If we are to step into the shoes of the other person we will quickly develop it. We should try to understand the feelings of other person before criticizing him.

Take an action to help:

Not only understanding but adopting an approach to help the other person in need should be our way to life. This  not only helps us to be sympathetic but also gain a rapport ,no matter where we are.

 

Step into the situation for a moment:

Change your perspective for a moment and stand at the other person's place. Now you can clearly see the situation from her viewpoint. Notice ,the change in your behavior the same moment.

Mind your words:

The selection of words when dealing with people in sensitive situations should be correct. If we fail at this crucial point we spoil our image no matter how sensitive we may be.Words should be soft ,touching and compassionate.

Engage in some social visits:

See and feel the misery.This is a simple way to arouse compassion in heart.Go for visits in slums,poor and destitute to make yourself understand their pains.This is simple but an effective method to arouse empathy in self. for others.

Empathy without boundaries is self destructive

Empathy is developing an understanding to the pains ,problems and feelings of people around.It makes you sensitive towards others and take related actions to help.It helps us to grasp situations from other's perspective and respond accordingly.However,empathy without boundaries can have severe repercussions wherein people take advantage of one's sensitive nature.It can make one over emotional and over impulsive.Over sensitive people  are referred to as sentimental fools.They cannot handle designations which demand discipline and fortitude.

Therefore, it is always advised to be sensibly empathetic, wherein ,we develop strong connectivity at the same time are not labeled as emotional fools.People tend to take advantage of such a affectionate nature which is  destructive and reprimanding at times.

Bottom line

Empathy seems to be highest forum of knowledge wherein you live,see,listen from other's perspective.However,extremes are always injurious so is the case in empathy.It is good to be compassionate but not sentimental fools.It is self destructive in extremes and costs on self esteem at times.