Reaching Out With Empathy
Workshops for Students
“The English word “empathy” came into being only about a century ago as a translation for the German psychological term Einfühlung, literally meaning “feeling-in.” English-speaking psychologists suggested a handful of other translations for the word, including “animation,” “play,” “aesthetic sympathy,” and “semblance.” But in 1908 two psychologists from Cornell and the University of Cambridge suggested “empathy” for Einfühlung, drawing on the Greek “em” for “in” and “pathos” for “feeling,” and it stuck.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/a-short-history-of-empathy/409912
Storytelling
Stories are powerful tools that punch holes in the minds and open little windows for the light to seep in. In the art of storytelling the most powerful stories are those that we have lived. Stories have the power to not only catch the attention of the listeners, they ensure that seeds of new ideas and shared experiences take root, which continue to influence the thoughts and actions of the listeners. In PE we take the help of this effective tool to deliver the conceptual understanding and the relatability towards the personal experiences about empathy.
What we hope to achieve?
The workshop will take the students on a flight of imagination through the storytelling and in essence will present them with the empathy ‘busters’. There will be an interaction based on the story. Behaviour and words which may on the surface seem helpful and kind, but are anything even close to empathy, will be brought to light. The workshop will also bring into the discourse the stark difference between empathy and sympathy. Lastly there will be a meditative process for the students to connect them back to themselves.