As human beings, there are various skills that we should acquire so that we can effectively socialize with others. As such, there are various characteristics that we should acquire in order to achieve this. one of them is empathy, as indicated in the essay below.
In my understanding, empathy is that ability within an individual to associate with the feelings of another, or to understand what the other person feels. To many, this is the condition that is commonly referred to as sliding into the boots of another individual. That is, in as much as it might be difficult, an individual can listen to the case of another and get fully involved or be in synchrony with the person’s feelings. It is empathy that often leads to sympathy, where an individual understands the situation of another and therefore does an act in attempt to make the situation of the other. It can be said that it is a situation where an individual argues that “suppose it was me” and his actions are guided by these assumption. This is very closely associated with the definition of empathy as seen in the Bing-Dictionary (n.d).
At times, it is difficult to show an act of empathy. For instance, there was a time I was going around town when I happened to meet a former schoolmate, he had quit school against the advice of everyone, sold some of his parents’ property and fled to town. On meeting him, he requested of me to lend him some amount for food and clothing. I found it quiet hard, considering that he had brought it upon himself. As rather, I asked him to pack up and head back home. In case I am confronted by such a situation in another instance, I think my reaction would be quite different. I would at least take the individual somewhere for lunch and then talk to him about going home. In case any financial assistance might be needed, I could see what to do about it.
Reference
Bing Dictionary. (n.d). Empathy. Retrieved on 11th May 2012 from https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&shva=1#inbox/1373a5666335501c
