During this volatile political season I think a conversation about empathy is a good one for all of us to have — in our homes, in our workplaces and, most importantly, with ourselves. Mr Khan said repeatedly in the interview I watched that he wasn’t looking for an apology from any one person, he was simply looking for empathy.
Empathy is different from sympathy. Different from tolerance or even compassion. Empathy is the ability to share someone else’s feelings. Feeling that you can understand another person’s experiences. In short: To walk in their shoes
I’ve often written about my own desire to help build a more caring, compassionate, collaborative world. But I’ve been thinking: To get there we first need to talk about, and yes exhibit, empathy. Or, we won’t be able to make our way to the world I’m envisioning.
Maria Shriver
