Empathy, very simply, is the ability to place yourself in another's position and understand things from his point of view. It's a skill that we are naturally equipped with, but not one we often choose to exercise... probably because it's a lot easier and convenient not to. One could make a pretty convincing case that becoming more empathic could truly solve many of the problems that affect the world, from the personal to the political and international.In the following powerful TEDTalk presentation, sociologist Sam Richards attempts to demonstrate that point by setting up a challenge: can we understand -not approve, but understand- the motivation of an Iraqui insurgent?
I'll just re-quote Dostovevsky:
While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer,.
nothing is harder than to understand him.