Hey MTDubberz! Today's Mover Monday features PeaceMover, Alejandra Paucar and her experiences with our talented and passionate group of Junior PeaceMovers. With the help of Alejandra, these Junior PeaceMovers are on their way to make powerful impacts on their communities!
One of my students, Sara, expressed how she understood the importance of empathy, but she also believed that people who are empathetic and seek to understand others can sometimes unintentionally make excuses for others in the event of unfavorable behavior. By making these excuses, this unfavorable behavior becomes a continuous cycle. She used a romantic relationship as an example: "Oh, he is probably stressed because of work" or "Oh, he is acting this way because he is under a lot of pressure.” She described empathy as a "slippery slope" that can end up hurting both parties.
I was taken aback by her insight. It was a great point to explore as a group. I asked what the rest of the group thought and they agreed. I then asked the group what they thought was the purpose of empathy. They described empathy as the means to strengthen a community by putting yourself in one another's shoes and seeking to understand where the other person is coming from. I then added that empathy should not only be seen as a way to strengthen a community through compassion but also as a way to strengthen an individual through self-awareness. Empathy empowers a community to work together harmoniously and individuals to express themselves considerately - including speaking up for yourself if you feel your feelings are not being acknowledged even after you seek to understand another's feelings and circumstances. I was so happy that Sara shared her insight because it seemed to be an unspoken topic that all the girls had in mind.