Empathy - a rare ability, consisting in an unusually subtle comprehension of the feelings and emotions of another person, as a rule, the interlocutor. Also, this concept includes many additional aspects: it is an opportunity to put oneself in someone else's place, and a tendency to empathize, and the ability to feel another's mood.
Perhaps, for the most part, this is a personal trait of a human character, rather than a psychological characteristic.
Psychological works and treatises relating to this topic have been written for more than a decade. Virtually all eminent psychologists and psychotherapists, including Sigmund Freud, known to everyone, took part in the development of this issue. He argued that the possession of empathy includes not only the subjective understanding of another world, but also the ability to sense all emotions (both positive and negative) from the point of view of another person.
Empathic abilities are rarely innate. Most often, individuals acquire them, along with a steadily increasing experience. Most often empathy causes several variants of responses at once. A person with this gift can simultaneously sympathize, empathize and have an overwhelming sympathy for an individual with whom he now has an emotional connection.
Empathy levels - quite a relative concept. However, the Internet is replete with tests that offer to find out whether this characteristic is available online. Most often, site creators propose to determine at what level of emotional intelligence you are and divide empats into 5 groups:
- the first group does not recognize itself as empaths. They feel emotions and experiences, but identify themselves with them, and not some other person;
- the second group is aware of what they are capable of, but does not fully understand their capabilities and the nature of this skill;
- the third group is quite clearly using their abilities, tuning in to any person whose inner world is of interest.
- the fourth group will be able to master all possible emotions and gradually learn to control their “victims” in this way;
- and the fifth group mastered empathic abilities to the full, learning not only to share their feelings with the emotions of other people, but also to gain control over other personalities.
At the moment, empathy is divided into several types:
- Emotional (it is based on the imitation of the motor reactions of another person).
- Cognitive (based on intellectual processes).
- Predicative (manifested as the ability to predict the reactions of another).
More-less empathy is subject to each of us, if not more: is necessary. It is needed by people whose professions are directly related to communication: psychologists, managers, managers and many others.
The development of empathy.
Not a small fraction of people is ready to give a lot, just to develop empathic abilities. Experts say that this is quite possible and recommend a number of game exercises:
- Active listening. Learn (or teach) to listen to the interlocutor and ask questions that would help him more fully reveal the topic being put forward. Also, a useful skill will be the ability to share your impressions of what was heard (eg: "It was very painful for me to hear your story").
- Exercise "Refuge". To complete it, you need to get settled in a chair, relax as much as possible (close your eyes and take a comfortable posture) and imagine your ideal refuge. Its forms may differ dramatically. For some, this is a house in which he was born and raised, and for someone it is a hut in the woods where no one will find him. Such fantasies will largely relieve emotional tension and allow them to “dump” the extra burden.
- Pronunciation compliments. The ability to praise others is an important component of all trainings. It is necessary to start with at least a few flattering compliments a day, because soon enough it will become a habit, and you will begin to find real reasons for pride in your surroundings.
- Analysis of their behavior. Someone considers it a meaningless reflection, and someone a productive analysis of the actions performed. To do this, you can keep a diary, or just daily allocate a few minutes to a frank conversation with yourself.
It should be borne in mind that the older a person is, the harder it is for him to develop empathy, as the experience has not always allowed to objectively evaluate others.
Also, remember that the acquired ability to empathy can be easily destroyed only by fear. It is known that empaths try to avoid conflict situations, protecting themselves and others from quarrels and disputes. However, if this fails, sensitive people begin to suffer from panic attacks and look for ways to correct their thinking, which fundamentally destroys all their abilities.
