Empathy has been defined as the ability to “understand and share the feelings of others†and it is one the abilities we want our students to develop as part of relating well with others –the R of THIS-REAL-.Â
Daniel Goleman (2017) in his article What’s Empathy?, states that “attentionâ€, which means “to reach toward”, is the foundation of empathy. This author also identifies three types of empathy important for leadership effectiveness:
Cognitive Empathy: the ability to understand another’s perspective.Â
Emotional Empathy: the ability to physically feel what another person feels.Â
Empathic Concern: the ability to sense what another needs from you.Â
Besides, different authors have pointed out the benefits of teaching empathy. Michelle Borba (2016), for instance, explains that we need to teach our students that individual actions do not lead to success, it is through cooperation and collaboration that we, social beings by nature, achieve success.Â
In a conversation with Steve Hammond, the Principal of Saint Patrick Catholic School (the school our Middle School students have their exchange program with), he mentioned that one of the contributions of Choice Theory is that it helps people learn what others need and in that sense you’re developing an empathic mind. He states that true empathy will lead to compassion, and true compassion will lead to service.
We believe that events like Soccer 4 Smiles and the Titi-Athlon help our students become aware of what the needs of others are, put themselves in others’ shoes, develop compassion and walk the talk by running, swimming and playing soccer with the purpose of serving others, adding quality to their lives and aiding the ecosystems they’re are part of. Our gratitude to all of our students and parents. Thanks for your support!
References: Goleman, D. (2017). What is Empathy?. Empathy (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series). Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition.Â
Borba, M. (2016). Unselfie: Why empathetic kids succeed in our all-about-me world (First Edition.). New York: Touchstone.
Resumen: la empatÃ
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