Empathy

When we are asked to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, we often refer to a total immersion in the other person's affect. Our self and theirs intermingle so that we can feel their pain and joy as if they were ours. But is this loss of self always necessary (or beneficial) to understand others?

Empathy is another topic that seems simple at first, but is full of nuances. Science has already unravelled some of them, with the emotional (warm), and cognitive empathy (cold, where the self remains detached from the other), as well as compassion. Let's explore these nuances together and ask ourselves the following questions :

• What is empathy to you? What does it mean to “put yourself in someone else's shoes”?
• How do you want others to have empathy for you?
• Why is it important to show empathy toward others? Why would you want others to show you empathy?
• Is the loss of self, in emotional empathy, always necessary (or beneficial) to understand our peers?
• Have you ever experienced empathy fatigue?
• Do you think that a mere cognitive, cold understanding of others feelings (without feeling them) is the answer to empathy fatigue?
• Is empathy something we can learn, or is it innate in us?
• And much more ...

Looking forward to meeting you all for an empathetic conversation about empathy :)

To build together a fruitful, respectful and inspiring conversation, please be aware of the following ground rules:

• Listen respectfully, without interrupting.
• Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others' views.
• Comment on ideas, not individuals.
• Commit to learning, not debating. Comment in order to share information, not to persuade.
• Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language.
• Allow everyone the chance to speak.
• Avoid no-shows to be fair towards the participants in the waitlist and the organizer.
• Avoid showing up to the event if you are not part of the attendees list to be fair towards the waitlist members and the organizer.
• Be mindful and present during the discussion and avoid being on your phone - after all, it's the beauty of a face-to-face social interaction.