*new* This song by EverLast reminds me of our discussions about empathy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9f9Eybv4I
Empathy is imagining the situation from the point of view or position of another in a caring way. Why would that be important in philosophy? Why might it be helpful to have intellectual empathy in your post-collegiate life?
Intellectual Empathy is important not only in philosophy, but also in every aspect of life. Each individual believes what he or she does because of the experiences that each have had. As a philosopher, denying to look at others’ ideas from their point of view could seriously limit that philosopher’s ability to understand the world or philosophize about it. When thinking about the “Big Questions of Life,” Palmer points out that, “Every generation, every culture, and I suspect, every individual pose these questions anew” (Palmer 3). By deciding to only see the world from one perspective, the philosopher is missing the opportunity to enmesh others’ truths and combine them with his/her own. As a human being, the unwillingness to understand another could be debilitating. As I train for a career in one of the “Caring Professions,” I am faced with multiple situations throughout my clinical days that cause me to wonder about the capacity of human beings: the things others are able to do and the things they are willing to withstand. As one wise nurse that I met noted: she is never the patient’s judge, she is simply there to care for them as a whole person. As I watched her do this with one such patient, she employed what I now know as Intellectual Empathy. She listened to the patient’s concerns and different perspectives and answered these with her utmost concern. When we left, the patient sincerely thanked her for listening – the very fact that the nurse was willing to experience the patient’s feelings and truly listen to her perspective, was a great gift to the patient. As a nurse, I will have to employ Intellectual Empathy on a daily basis, and I am in the process of learning how to do this through classes such as this and by observing others who are able to do it well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michelle. Intellectual empathy is the only way one can come to an educated opinion on pretty much anything. Education is based on others' opinions and their views on certain issues. However, I think it goes beyond combining the beliefs of others with your own. As a philosopher in particular, it is important to understand that you may never come to a consensus on what is the truth. Instead, you can use intellectual empathy to decide what isn't. Studying history of philosophy I can understand and create an appreciation for the evolution of ideas. Looking back at ancient philosophers, their ideas seem silly sometimes, but without those ideas, there would not have been the comprehensive philosophy that I appeal to today. There are many things that I am not sure of, but I can without fail say that the essential element of everything is not water. That is how intellectual empathy can help in post-collegiate life. An understanding that everyone believes in certain things, but not letting that get in the way of duties in marriage and your job. For example, I went to the Israel-Palestine peace talk yesterday and the basic thing they discussed was that everyone wants justice and may have the best of intentions, but in the end it is not about how are we different, but how can we look past our differences to live together?
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Michelle and Nicole in that intellectual empathy is important. Often times when people are struggling with something and they are talking with someone else, they say “put yourself in my shoes”. Ultimately, the person struggling knows that others won’t be able to necessarily make their situation better, but that is not what they are seeking. Instead of advice or help, what they really seek is empathy. It is important to have intellectual empathy because it not only helps other people feel better, but it makes you a better person as well. People are comforted by those willing to listen and express understanding. In return, the listener benefits by building better relationships with others and expanding their own knowledge and perspective.
ReplyDeleteMany times in philosophy we have been wrapped up in some debate. The only way to produce a valid counterargument is to understand where the other person is coming from. There may never be a clear right answer in which case you agree to disagree but at least you can see why they believe what they believe. Intellectual empathy is even important outside the classroom. Like Michelle said, to be a good healthcare professional, empathy is essential. In my future career as a veterinarian, I must be able to relate to each customer and understand them. This allows me to better treat their pet. Everyone’s situation is unique and the more we come to realize this, the better we can work together and provoke progress.
I agree with what everyone above had to say. Intellectual empathy is important in everyones life. This is important in philosophy because when defining philosophy it is the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. When working with patients I know I want to be honest and knowledgable when speaking to them. We also need to be aware of our emotions and feelings before we can interact with others and their feelings, before we our comfortable with our own. Empathy is the intellectual indentifiction with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Like Michelle mentioned, it's important to get to know your patient, it is important if you want to be a good health care provider, you do need to show empathy. I think no matter how different two people are you can always relate to them in some way. So currently and in the future it is important to have intellectual empathy because it affects our daily lives, we can take experiences that we have already encountered and use what we've learned in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said so far. I really like Michelle's comment of "Each individual believes what he or she does because of the experiences that each have had." If we were to just believe what we believed and never accepted anyone else's view, we would never learn anything new. I think our opinions are constantly being influenced by our actions and the words of others. It is important for us to have intellectual empathy because if we do not, then we will be unable to learn new thing and our opinions will be based on a limited amount of information.
ReplyDeleteOften times when I get mad or upset and I cannot understand a decision someone has made my mother urges me to "put myself into the other person's shoes". I think that this intellectual empathy is key to life in general. I also really liked Michelle's comment:"Each individual believes what he or she does because of the experiences that each have had." Understanding and accepting what others have to say "forces" us to learn and grow from what they believe. This acceptance can help us to better our beliefs and understandings. Without intellectual empathy we would not be the people we are today and we would be stuck in the ways we are now never evolving and never growing.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is imperative in all areas of our life. It is necessary to sometimes consider another person’s point of view in order to understand all aspects of a particular topic or situation. Without empathy, a person may be considered closed minded or unwilling. Empathy is important in fully understanding philosophy as well. Philosophy is defined as “The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence” Philosophy is a subject that not everyone can relate to or understand. So even though you may not fully understand or agree with certain philosophical truths, learning their meaning and understanding the significance is important. Remaining empathetic to others in our life is helpful in both professional and personal settings. We are constantly learning new things and even after college it is helpful to always keep an open mind or put yourself in someone in someone else’s shoes. When I become a nurse I know that I will be able to follow the basics, but it is always good to gain someone else’s perspective or knowledge that may better help you, even if you don’t always consider what they say to be correct at the beginning. Having empathy is important in life because without it you will never gain any new understanding of what others are feeling.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced by another. I think that empathy is a very important part of nursing. Too often health care providers lack empathy and compassion and it shows. To have empathy as a nurse will not only help me be a better person, but it will allow me to truly care for my patients. If I can even imagine somewhat what their situation may be like and what needs they have, I can help them meet them.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be much to say that hasn't already been said in the prior comments. For the most part intellectual empathy is extremely important in the field of academia even more important in the real world. The key to good healthcare professionals is the ability to empathize with patients.
ReplyDeleteI agree that intellect empathy is very important. To have intellectual empathy is to be able to accurately reconstruct the viewpoints and reasoning of others and to reason from premises, assumptions, and ideas other than one's own. This trait also correlates with the willingness to remember occasions when one was wrong in the past despite an intense conviction of being right, and with the ability to imagine being similarly deceived in a case at hand.
ReplyDeleteThe opposite of intellectual empathy is intellectual self-centeredness. It is thinking centered on self. When we think from a self-centered perspective, we are unable to understand others' thoughts, feelings, and emotions. From this natural perspective, we are the recipients of most of our attention. Our pain, our desires, and our hopes are most pressing. The needs of others pale into insignificance before the domination of our own needs and desires. We are unable to consider issues, problems, and questions from a viewpoint that differs from our own and that, when considered, would force us to change our perspective.
I agree that intellectual empathy is important, not just to understanding others but also to understaning ourselves. By taking a closer look at how others look at the world there is always a good chance that we learn something about the reasons why we look our world in a certain way. Empathy is a key element in understanding other people and learning to respect others opinions. It teaches us that though we may not agree with what everyone says, we are open minded enough to see the sense in what they say. Also seeing the sense in others arguements drives us to better justify our own opinions or perhaps take a closer look at our opinions and realize they need to be adjusted. Empathy isn't just a skill for philosophy, but a skill for life especially after college. Empathy is important to accepting and understanding that while some things may not be important to us they may matter a great deal to someone else. Empathy is just another way in which human beings make an effort to show the best of themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree that empathy is important in philosophy. To be able to see into someone else’s thoughts and viewpoints and fully understand and truly care about their beliefs, are one of the best qualities a person can have. I feel that I have experienced empathy in this class. On several occasions I have formed an opinion about something, and after hearing someone else’s viewpoint and looking at it from their perspective I found myself often changing my own opinions. I think that in order to have empathy you must be able to recall personal experiences that you can relate to what the other person is experiencing. If you can’t at all relate to the emotions or decisions another person is faced with, I think it would be very difficult to empathize with that situation. Therefore, I think people that have been through a lot and have experienced many different situations are the most qualified for expressing empathy. I say “qualified” because just because they can relate to the situation, does not mean they have compassion and are capable to truly care about another person’s feelings or emotions. Like Sarah mentioned before, this would be considered the opposite of empathy, or self-centeredness. If you only think about yourself and everything that you have gone through, you will never be able to have empathy for someone else. I think it would be helpful to have intellectual empathy in my post-collegiate life because I want to be a physical therapist. I think it is very important for the therapist to empathize with what the patient is going through. I believe that having empathy for someone else will allow your relationship to grow. I think it is necessary for the physical therapist and patient to have a good relationship so that the patient can get the most out of the therapy.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I consider empathy very important to life. It is important to philosophy because even though someone may not agree with their way of thinking, they are still considerate to their ideas and not saying they are wrong, but that there is another way of thinking to that idea. I think empathy is important in the healthcare because as a nurse we must listen to the patients about their feelings and where they come from so it is possible to adovcate for the patient if needed. Also, having empathy is needed so the nurse can develop a good relationship with the patient. When we know the patient, we can include the patient with decisions involving the treatment that way the patient can keep his autonomy. We must consider where others have been because we can then develop a stronger relationship with the person.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is a powerful tool in both philosophical thinking and the real world. Without it, human progress could not be made. Everyone would grow up with the same values or beliefs that their parents preached to them since they were little rather than testing boundaries and questioning the other side of an issue. It is easy for one to oppose abortion, but does this mean we condemn the teenage girl who recieves an abortion because the child was concieved from a rape? We have to empathize and view every issue from the opposing side if we want to fully understand our own side of the argument. Just because we do not agree with another's idea, it is our responsibility to not ignore their reasoning but rather investigate it and at least attempt to respect their side. As I work towards one day becoming a doctor, I hope this philosophy class has taught me to keep an open-mind and empathize with my patients. Seeing things through the patient's eyes is critical to providing the type of care that would work best for them. Whether I am engaging in a philosophical debate or caring for a sick patient, I hope I always remember to place myself in the other person's shoes in order to conduct myself in the most mindful and caring manner.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else pretty much said empathy is very important to life. I believe that everyone should put oneself in another persons shoes when one is telling one about a hard time they have encountered. One should have empathy for patients in nursing care. Having empathy for a patient will allow one to truly care for them and build a trusting relationship.If I have an idea of what a patient is going through and what needs they have and want to be met, I can help them meet their desired outcomes possibly.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is an important part of us as humans, we are able to care about other people and show them that truly care by our actions. Like the other people have stated, being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes gives you a whole different perspective on life. Empathy is important in philosophy because different philosophers have different opinions and therefore have to be able to see someone else’s point of view and not just their own opinion. We all meet new people every day that come from different cultural, educational, or financial backgrounds therefore, we need to have intellectual empathy so that we can carry on a conversation with them without sounding inferior to them.
ReplyDeleteI would agree the empathy is a key ingredient of what makes us humane. At the beginning of this course I would have to say that I didn’t have much empathy for what others had to say. Sometimes, as a guy especially, our egos might get in the way and we usually think we are always right. Or even a lot of times I blow off what my parents have to say, especially in high school because I was Mr. Know-it-all. After gaining experience and maturity it is imperative that we have empathy and relate to what others might have to say, feel, or situations they are going through. Many times we tend to block out real life and parents might shelter us from real life, but after going through things that I said, “that will never happen to me,” it is eye-opening. I used to have my own set opinions on issues but after gaining experience and being around different people that were different from me it has definitely changed my opinion on things, or if it didn’t empathy still present and I didn’t just laugh at them or tell them they are wrong. People have had different experiences than me, grew up differently than me, have a different religion than me, and have different views than me, so empathy should always be present and keeping an open-mind.
ReplyDeleteIn Philosophy it is important to be empathetic because there are different interpretations people may have. While reading Sartre I wrote that he was wrong saying there are infinite options in every situation. There was the boulder story in Barry where one of the options was the person to kill themselves and I said that shouldn’t be an option. Dr. Sherron corrected me saying that this isn’t an option to me, but may be an option to someone else. In other words, I do agree that empathy is a key component of what makes us humane.
I think empathy is a very important skill to be able to use when encountering someone else. Without empathy, everyone would do plenty of unmoral things because they would not care how it affects others around them. I believe empathy is what helps us maintain our morals and our beliefs. Being able to understand how someone else would feel in a certain situation has a great impact on my decisions. In the philosophical world, it is needed to be able to understand other's views. Like Matthew said above, just because a certain option is not right for you, it is possible that it is the right choice for someone else. And that is very important to keep in mind. Not everyone has the same views and would deal with situations differently. Even if you do not agree with what they are doing, it is important to understand that they had a reason for those decisions and at the time that decision may have been the best one for them. Empathy is also important after college when you are dealing with patients or even trying to find a job. Putting yourself in patient’s shoes will help you understand how to connect with them and better treat them. Empathy helps to show people that we do care about them and they are just not another person in our life.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is important in philosophy because philosophy is a subject in which there are not concrete facts or ways of believing. In class when people give their opinions or reveal personal stories I think that it is important and mature to imagine their situation and picture things from their point of view in a sympathetic way. I think that a lot of times people confuse empathy with sympathy but they are not the same. Sympathy is when there is emotional concern while empathy is actually a true understanding of another. Empathy can present in many situations whereas sympathy only at times when you may feel bad for someone else. Because of its relevance I think that empathy is not only important in this class but definitely in our worlds outside of college when we interact with many people who are not our student peers and teachers. In my opinion empathy is especially relevant in the field of healthcare that many of us our going into.
ReplyDeleteIn order to treat a patient and make them happy interactions with them are required and necessary. I think that in order for patients to be complaint with doctors and not feel totally controlled by them, they must feel that they understand their unique situation and the doctors must convey this to their patient. I also think that empathy is more than just simply understanding what someone else is going through and knowing factual information about them. You must understand on a personal level and respect that understanding. A health care professional who does this will have greater success with their patients be more effective workers.
Some people may disagree and say that it is not possible for a physician to genuinely empathize with every patient and to do so would be difficult under the time constraints and pressures that they have. Also they may be able to make better objective decisions. I think however that patients value affective concern equally as much as technical and physical concern and competence. Each patient should be listened to and treated as a person, because that is what they are. I think that being called a doctor or other health professional does not only mean having the knowledge to physically treat illness, but to respond to it empathically. If it is a goal of medicine to alleviate suffering and not simply cure disease—then empathy is a necessary clinical skill. In order to be a good health care worker, they must learn medical knowledge, as well as how to find a balance between becoming too emotionally involved with the patient and being able to personally relate to them. It is possible to be both very skilled in your trade and empathetic.