Empathy vs. Sympathy

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Sympathy is feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for the hardships that another person encounters, while empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of another. These words are often used interchangeably which is incorrect. Empathy goes beyond sympathy; with empathy, there is a sense of caring and understanding for the suffering of others. Feeling with people vs. feeling for people. Check out the video to learn more about this difference. 

What is the best way to ease someone's pain and suffering? In this beautifully animated RSA Short, Dr Brené Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own fragilities.

Some Get Addicted and Other's Don't! Why?

Have you ever wondered why some people can drink two beers and not drink again for months on in and with other people if they take a drink they won't be able to stop; even to the point of drinks for days or weeks. What makes them drink so incessantly? Especially since more than likely they are experiencing negative consequences (i.e. legal or relationship trouble) from their constant drinking. Have you ever asked a person with addiction "How can you love that drug or alcohol more than your family"?

Take a look at the video to help answer these questions 

What causes addiction? Easy, right? Drugs cause addiction. But maybe it is not that simple. This video is adapted from Johann Hari's New York Times best-selling book 'Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs.'

Adverse Childhood Experiences

ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences ): According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue. Below is a link to a TED talk where ACES are discussed further.

Childhood trauma isn't something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain.

Importance of Empathy: Experiencing other people’s reality

The ability to look through the lenses of someone else and understand their emotion is of great importance in developing healthy relationships with others and ourselves.

There are four qualities to Empathy:

1. Perspective taking

2. Staying out of judgment

3.Recognizuing emotion in other people then communicating that

4. Empathy is feeling with people. 

Check out the video below for more information on the importance of empathy 

Try to understand how other people experience the world. Read more: lifehac.kr/C2ePfNa Lifehacker: Tips and downloads for getting things done. http://lifehacker.com/