“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.” – Max Carver
We think Max Carver got it right and that if we truly care about community building and making positive changes in the world, we have to invest in learning about how to become even more empathic as empathy is at the heart of true understanding. We asked some deeply empathic leaders to share their perspectives below.
Miguel Cardenas
Being an actor. While I am not closed off to being in a show again, I am almost fully retired from that world but I draw from those experiences when trying to cultivate a rehearsal and performance environment. Having been in the thick of the industry from an actors perspective allows me to be more understanding of the position and struggles actors go through which goes hand in hand with my personal EDIA commitment to the work I do. Read more>>
Pauline M. Dillon
The conditions such as child abuse, at the hand of my mother, not growing with either parents or with my sisters and brothers, and still not knowing my father, growing in a government institution called the state home, these happenings has allowed me to develop my empathy for others. All of this is leading back to my childhood days and all those traumatic experiences that took place during that time. Read more>>
Darian Didier
At a young age, I had to grow up fast. I was only nine when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was sick most of my life and passed a month before my 20th birthday. So in my head I believed everyone had their own issues going on. I understood that everyone’s life isn’t perfect and we have our own story. I was good at pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t so I treat everyone with respect because you never know what someone is going through. We are all human, none of us are perfect so we shouldn’t judge. Read more>>
Krisha Bafna
Throughout my journey, the conditions that paved the way for my development of empathy were far from easy, despite the misconception that growing up in a financially stable family equates to a smooth ride. Very few people are aware of these battles I was fighting within. In the eyes of my family, being a girl meant inherently falling short. Read more>>
Mandy Montane
I have always had empathy for others as I have overcame many challenges in my life. I believe empathy was a gift I was born with that came from God. I was raised by a single mother and raised without a father so I have always been able to understand and relate to the fatherless and those raised by single mothers. Although we had little money my mother always worked very hard to provide for me and we were never without. Read more>>
Clarissa from Beckoning Adventure
Empathy is a tricky thing… because it’s easy not to exhibit empathy at all, I would argue it’s one of the toughest things to choose to incorporate into your life. When I met my husband, I never thought our love would hurt anyone, we fell fast for each other and quickly developed a relationship. He is a beautiful dark skinned man, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I am an almost transparent woman from South Africa. Read more>>
Mildred Inez Lewis
My mom Vivian was an extraordinary woman, bold and adventurous. She was a nurse who became a certified yoga instructor long before it was popular. Her emphasis on wellness, nutrition and what would come to be known as self-care impacted dozens through her diabetes education work at Harlem’s Sydenham Hospital. After studying French in night school, she spent a July in a Paris pension while I was away at summer camp. She taught me by example that learning has no expiration date. Read more>>
BlackBuddhaBear
One of the key things about empathizing with others is to not confuse it with “sympathy” internally. Many people make this mistake when the subject comes up. They think that the motive of empathy is to evoke some sense of pity or unparticular compassion in them, and once they’ve found whatever singular service to quiet that internal guilt, then everything is okay now. Read more>>
Peter Topside
I was raised in a very traumatic situation, where I was rarely shown any empathy or genuine compassion. I always knew that how I was treated didn’t feel right, but, having no other model to draw from, I didn’t understand how to comprehend a certain degree of warmth and understanding towards others. As I experienced more trauma going into my young adulthood, I began to develop a sense of compassion for others. Read more>>
Angélica Smith
I had the extreme privilege of being an exchange student for a year when I was 18 years old. I lived in a small town in north western Germany and stayed with three separate host families. This was by design so that I could get a broader perspective of German culture since every family is very different. I lived on a farm for six months in the beginning and the neighbors across the way were Japanese. Read more>>
Tanesha Payne
Developing empathy has been a multifaceted journey for me, intricately woven with my engagement in movement, particularly through dance. This somatic practice has served as a profound conduit, allowing me to forge a deeper connection with my body and emotions. Through the rhythms of dance, I’ve honed my ability to attune to my physical sensations and subtle emotional nuances, fostering a heightened sense of self-awareness. Read more>>
Sujata Patel
What were the conditions that allowed me to develop my empathy? The very same things that allowed me to develop my empathy are the events that helped me find my purpose. I feel like we have to go through difficult life experiences to truly develop empathy. And it has been in times of adversity that my empathy and compassion has grown and continues to grow. Read more>>
Arthur Henry
I believe I developed my empathy from my upbringing. My parents were Rastafarians and love is a core tenet in their way of life. I was raised to treat everyone equally despite race, color, or creed. My parents always showed love to others and it would recieve it in return tenfold. Being reared in this manner allowed me to understand the plight if others even without being in their shoes. They would always tell me today for you tomorrow for someone else. Read more>>
