A Listening Workout?
#8 | 12/1/23
“Being empathic ... means we must put aside our views and values, gently enter another’s private world without judgement or prejudice, and be a confident companion”
Practising empathy is a ‘listening’ workout.
The empathy adage “to understand another you must first walk a mile in their shoes” has an explicit verb and an assumption: the walking in another’s shoes and the taking off of your own shoes.
In an age where prevailing trends of our culture are of unhealthy tribalism and reductive binary perspectives, we are witnessing a growth within groups towards cultivating and practicing the craft of listening without prejudice.
A powerful and much needed skill for our age of mass information and reductivism… and one that requires champions, in workplaces, schools and community groups to advocate the practice this craft to build localised cultures of empathy.
The new Desperate Journeys 'Stage' version took place at All Saints, Crowborough this week bring a newer staging of this immersive workshop to larger audiences. One person shared: “I absolutely got it. I was really immersed in it. We were with you!”
A new slimmed down version of The High Life - Climate Justice immersive workshop is underway (looking at an March trial - we'll need some people to test it on ahead of presenting it at the annual Geographical Association conference in April
'The Empathy Consultancy' - we've been over the last year looking to apply our know-how of experiential learning and immersive techniques for other groups. This year we'll be working on concept pieces for possible future productions on rehabilitation of Child Soldiers for a client and a future programmes in the area of slavery.
What we are watching, listening, reading, attending…
Ever felt out down with a comment like “I love your idealism, but…”. Listen to Prof Ruth Morgan (UCL) and the fresh need and call for Idealism.
Other reads, clips, podcasts, events, films from around the team
Slow checkouts being introduced in the Dutch supermarket chain, Jumbo as they noticed some people enjoyed chatting while paying for their goods.
Learning to take care of Oneself, Others and the Planet at The Learning Planet Festival: 24-28th Jan online
"(It) tells the true story of two girls who fled Damascus to undertake their own Desperate Journey with the dream of swimming for Syria at the Rio Olympics" and "It's Desperate Journeys" are what some of our team have said about Swimmers on Netflix. One of the sisters Sara Mardini is on trial in Greece this week accused of several crimes by Greek authorities, whilst actually providing humanitarian relief. If convicted, she faces 25 years in prison.
A powerful lecture in the fresh take on need for free speech in The Reith Lecture: The Four Freedoms: freedom of Speech by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
On the evening of 31st Jan, Empathy Week are running an exclusive virtual film premiere of their films for Empathy Week. These have been great in the past. You can sign up here for the screening.
Measure your empathy quiz
6 ways to help us…
Volunteer - we really need a bunch of regular helpers (eg a few hours or more(!) a week or for our immersive workshops from time to time).
Share the news! - please forward, share any social media posts. Ta!
Spread the word! - we’d value an intro… to any potential vols, customers or even clients! Word of mouth is the best!
Become an Empathy Angel - this year we are looking for 100 ‘Empathy Angels’ to help invest into us as we reboot empathy action to build a ‘Culture of Empathy’. Could you spare us the price of a cuppa (£2.50) a week… We can’t and don’t want to do this alone!
Host a coffee morning with a table of our handicrafts to sell and invite interested people to learn more and enjoy a cuppa
Via smile.amazon - link here to enable amazon to give money to EA
Thank you!