Let's talk Empathy

Let's talk empathy.

 

Imagine you are on the highway and someone cuts in front of you. You probably thought something along the lines like that driver is arrogant, obnoxious, and reckless, right?!

 

Now imagine you called in a meeting and one of your stuff didn't show up on time. You probably assumed it’s because that person simply doesn’t care about the company or your time, right?!

 

Notice a pattern?

 

I want you to imagine now that you cut in front of that person? What's your excuse? Were you on your way to work and late so you had to put the pedal to the metal, or did you run out of gas and had to go to the gas station?

 

Also imagine your staff is already sitting in that boardroom and you show up late for the meeting you called in. Well, I am sure you had a good reason for that, right?

 

When something bad happens to another person you attributed that event to his/her personality.

Yet, when these same bad events happened to you, you attributed them to situational factors outside of your control.

 

There is a name for that, it is called the Fundamental Attribution Error.

 

Recognizing that these scenarios exist and amending your future thinking and behavior to accommodate it is a necessity for empathy.

 

Life is hard, don't make it harder for you and others.