Empathy Is the Heart of Communication

Take a close look at this picture. What do you see?

Some people immediately see an elderly woman wearing a scarf, others may see a young lady in a fancy hat. Is one view more correct than the other? If you look again, can you see the other point of view?

When we stick stubbornly to one point of view, insisting we are right and others are wrong, we leave no room for communication. We block the flow of energy between us. In my opinion, many of the problems of the world are the result of miscommunication. No matter how important our beliefs, if we do not approach others with compassion or empathy, we cannot build relationships, cannot have true peace.

Instead of putting blinders on, and not considering another person’s perspective, we would be wise to remember that our senses are not always accurate. We only partially see what is around us; our viewpoint is limited by our experiences. Thus we can be can tricked by illusions, as in the picture above. The nature of illusion is that the observer only recognizes part of the information available. Instead of saying, “I’m right and you’re wrong,” why not say, “I accept that we may see things differently.” Rather than creating walls between us, we can open the lines of communication and allow creativity to flow. Instead of competing with one another, we can engage in cooperation.

The phenomena that constitute our identity—our preconceptions, our emotions, our ego, even our divine, essential nature—are created within our brain. However, I believe every brain wants to be, and deserves to be, healthy, happy, and peaceful. This is the core, the essence, of who we are. If we approach communication from our core, rather from our ego, or arbitrary social custom, together we can naturally have health, happiness, and peace in our lives.

To tap into this essence, the optimal purpose of our brains, we need to change our habits. Our differences and miscommunications spring from habitually viewing the world through our ego. One way we can begin to change this habit is by doing things that can create happiness in ourselves and others. Even just doing three things a day such as smiling/laughing, giving compliments, offering help, or giving massage can make a difference. Be creative; try things you’ve never done before. If you do this consistently for 21 days, you will notice your thoughts, emotions, and communication with others will change.