The third E is Empathy. It is the ability to put yourself in someone’s shoes and feel what that person is experiencing. For example, if your friend is grieving for a recently demised pet, you can feel her pain, as if you have lost a pet too. You are able to understand her feelings and able to console her and comfort her.
Good books enable us to empathise with the characters so if the story is a sad one, it is not surprising that those of us who are able to empathise, find ourselves with wet eyes.
I often cry when reading books. Silly me, I guess, to cry over the character’s misfortune but there it goes. It’s the author’s skill in being able to create the situation whereby a reader can empathise with the character, in using words that touch your heart.
To have empathy for others, I think, is a good trait to possess. It makes us humane, able to identify with the other party’s situation and to feel for that person.
Unfortunately there are people who are unable to empathise and they often come across as unfeeling and unsympathetic. Maybe the situation did not strike a chord in them and they were thus unable to feel any sympathy.
If you have empathy and are able to sympathise with others, good for you. Do unto others what you would others do unto you. In times of trouble or stress, if there is someone who can share the burden, even just by lending a sympathetic ear, it makes a difference. You can also show your understanding through touch. Just a hand on the shoulder, a hug, or even a look and a nod can show the person you care and understand.
If we can empathise more, I believe there will be better understanding among people in a community.
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