Some might be able to articulate their experiences, but it can still be difficult to comprehend the depth of their words, even if you know their meaning.
So when one Reddit user asked everyone on the platform to share a feeling they believe is indescribable to someone who hasn’t had it, people immediately started submitting their answers, highlighting the complexity of human interaction.
Continue scrolling to check out the entries, and don’t miss the conversation we had with Barbara Jaffe, Ed.D. — you will find it in between the stories.
Scrappy_Larue , Helena Lopes / pexels Report
Furtip , Engin Akyurt / pexels Report
“Empathy is one of the most important qualities a person can possess,” Jaffe, author of ‘When will I be good enough?’, told Bored Panda. “Empathy allows us to understand others on a deeper level. It is also not necessary to have had the same experience as another person in order to feel empathy.”
“For example, seeing an unhoused (homeless) person can immediately make us feel sad about that person’s situation. If we feel sorry for that person, it sets up an uneven relationship whereby we are looking at the other person, grateful for not being in their position and in a sense, feeling better than that person on some level. However, feeling empathy allows us to understand at a basic emotional level that this other person is feeling pain and perhaps suffering, and we can understand both of those emotions no matter our circumstances, for all of us have had pain and suffering. Therefore, empathy enables us to understand each other and connect in a way that allows us to share our feelings with others.”
Minimum-Inspector-38 , Sora Shimazaki / pexels Report
Repeat_after_me__ , KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA / pexels Report
wantstolearnhowto , cottonbro studio / pexels Report
As she pointed out, the more self-absorbed we become and believe that what’s happening to us is all that matters, the more we limit our ability to empathize with others. “When we realize that others are going through hard times and they might need someone to talk to, we can accept that we aren’t the only ones who have issues. This mutual understanding of each other’s hardships allows for empathy.”
V_is4vulva , Andrea Piacquadio / pexels Report
UnicornVoodooDoll , David Garrison / pexels Report
SeriesBusiness9098 , Anna Shvets / pexels Report
“There are those who are naturally born with empathy, an innate understanding and feeling for what others are experiencing,” Jaffe added. “Some people are empathic souls, yet all of us can learn how to appreciate the emotions of others even if we have never had the same experiences. It is a process that begins internally when we can learn to accept ourselves, one day at a time.”
randypriest , Karolina Grabowska / pexels Report
Accomplished_Eye_824 , William Fortunato / pexels Report
topshot14 , RDNE Stock project / pexels Report
Be kind to yourself. “We must learn to be gentle and patient with ourselves. We must first learn to be empathic with ourselves, to give ourselves a break, to be understanding about our own lives before we can begin to have empathy for others,” she said.
Learn to listen — really listen — to others when they are sharing their thoughts and feelings. According to Jaffe, it isn’t easy to listen, and our ‘me-centric’ culture isn’t helping us develop the habit. But, if we actively try to make eye contact and hear what the other person is sharing, we will get closer to their true emotions.
Share our thoughts with those we trust. “Even if we are a little hesitant to do so, we will experience empathy not only for others but for ourselves. Take a ‘safe risk’ with someone who will listen to us and understand.”
NoParty1969 , RDNE Stock project / pexels Report
MarvinLazer , Thirdman / pexels Report
rxssri , Pavel Danilyuk / pexels Report
Hellisdigital- , Pavel Danilyuk / pexels Report
Kvothetheraven603 , MART PRODUCTION / pexels Report
doomblackdeath , Sarah Chai / pexels Report
homme_chauve_souris , Polina Tankilevitch / pexels Report
mir_ols , Raven Domingo / pexels Report
TriplePattyMelt , cottonbro studio / pexels Report
DoodleStrude , cottonbro studio / pexels Report
MouseKingMan , Monica Silvestre / pexels Report
ThundernLightning308 , Uriel Mont / pexels Report
slav_squat_98 , MART PRODUCTION / pexels Report
fishinglife777 , Lisa Fotios / pexels Report
lm5169 , Amina Filkins / pexels Report
Total_Mushroom2865 , Alex Green / pexels Report
RebelliousRoomba , Artem Podrez / pexels Report
CurvePuzzleheaded361 , Pavel Danilyuk / pexels Report
Waffle_God49 , Kindel Media / pexels Report
Wide-Review-2417 , RDNE Stock project / pexels Report
Jabez77 , J E Theriot / flickr Report
zoooosh , Andre Moura / pexels Report
God_Of_Puddings , Tom Fisk / pexels Report
AdWonderful5920 , jasonesbain / wikipedia Report
Bertensgrad , Andrea Piacquadio / pexels Report
Follow Bored Panda on Google News!
Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!
