Empathy refers to the ability to read and experience another person's psychological or emotional state. It is said that women are often born with more of this ability than men. This allows women to understand feelings through vocal tones or facial expressions alone. As a result, women may find it difficult to understand and feel hurt when others don't recognize their feelings. When frustration boils over into anger, men might be perplexed. Therefore, women should avoid thinking, "Shouldn't they just know?" and instead explain their feelings with specific words. Similarly, men should make an effort to develop their empathy. There is a part of our brain that activates when we pay attention to others, and empathy skills can improve with effort.
Here are two well-known methods for developing empathy. The first is ‘empathic listening’. This means not just listening to what the other person is saying but engaging with empathy. This involves maintaining eye contact, nodding, and responding with phrases like, “Oh no! I see,” “Oh, that must have been frustrating,” “Wow! How could that happen!” and so on.
The second method is ‘expressive listening’. When the other person is speaking, instead of staring blankly with a neutral expression, adjust your own expressions according to their words. This could mean smiling, widening your eyes in curiosity, showing surprise, or even leaning back with a contented expression. These expressions help convey empathy and assist in developing our own empathy skills.
Particularly in Korean culture, people often have neutral expressions, which can lead the speaker to doubt whether their words are being heard or understood, sometimes decreasing their motivation to speak. By using ‘empathic and expressive listening’ in house church meetings, individuals will feel loved and respected, making participation in these meetings more enjoyable.
# This column was written with reference to Pastor Lee Su Kwan's column.
Word of the week
On the back of the chairs in the worship hall, there is a small shelf for placing Bibles. If you put pressure on the shelf or place heavy items on it, it can easily break. After the service, please be sure to fold the shelf back in.
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이동주 2024.08.03 11:15
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Empathy refers to the ability to read and experience another person's psychological or emotional state. It is said that women are often born with more of this ability than men. This allows women to understand feelings through vocal tones or facial expressions alone. As a result, women may find it difficult to understand and feel hurt when others don't recognize their feelings. When frustration boils over into anger, men might be perplexed. Therefore, women should avoid thinking, "Shouldn't they just know?" and instead explain their feelings with specific words. Similarly, men should make an effort to develop their empathy. There is a part of our brain that activates when we pay attention to others, and empathy skills can improve with effort.
Here are two well-known methods for developing empathy. The first is ‘empathic listening’. This means not just listening to what the other person is saying but engaging with empathy. This involves maintaining eye contact, nodding, and responding with phrases like, “Oh no! I see,” “Oh, that must have been frustrating,” “Wow! How could that happen!” and so on.
The second method is ‘expressive listening’. When the other person is speaking, instead of staring blankly with a neutral expression, adjust your own expressions according to their words. This could mean smiling, widening your eyes in curiosity, showing surprise, or even leaning back with a contented expression. These expressions help convey empathy and assist in developing our own empathy skills.
Particularly in Korean culture, people often have neutral expressions, which can lead the speaker to doubt whether their words are being heard or understood, sometimes decreasing their motivation to speak. By using ‘empathic and expressive listening’ in house church meetings, individuals will feel loved and respected, making participation in these meetings more enjoyable.
# This column was written with reference to Pastor Lee Su Kwan's column.
Word of the week
On the back of the chairs in the worship hall, there is a small shelf for placing Bibles. If you put pressure on the shelf or place heavy items on it, it can easily break. After the service, please be sure to fold the shelf back in.