Imagination and Empathy

Imagination is key to cultivating empathy.

I sent three children off to a new school this morning.

New uniforms.

New building.

New teachers and classmates and lunch procedures.

For them, there has been excitement and a fair bit of anxiety.

A few days ago, I did a parental exercise in imagination, trying to picture myself as a third grader, walking into an entirely new world of education, armed only with my backpack and a hope of finding a friend.

“That would be scary…and a little exciting…and kind of overwhelming.”

And it gave me more patience with my children and their worries.

“What might I be feeling if I were walking in their shoes?” This question isn’t perfect, but it will get you a lot closer to compassionately caring about the experience of others.

Some great ways to cultivate your empathetic imagination include….

1) Reading books by authors from different worldviews/cultures/experiences
2) Pausing while watching a show to ask, “I wonder why they are feeling/doing that?”
3) Ask (often), “What else might be going on right now to make this person act the way that they are acting?”. Engage the question with compassion and imagination.

How else do you cultivate your ability to identify with the stories of others?