The World Economic Forum lists ‘Emotional Intelligence’ as one of the top 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Empathy is an integral part of emotional intelligence. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines empathy as: “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also: the capacity for this…”
So maybe you are sold on the idea of empathy but have no idea how to be empathetic. Psychologists have broken down the concept into three categories: Cognitive, Emotional, and Compassionate.
Cognitive empathy refers to how well we perceive and understand another person’s feelings. Emotional empathy is the ability to share the feelings of another person. Compassionate empathy also known as emphatic concern stands out particularly because it moves us to action. It goes beyond feelings and thoughts and actually does something to help the other person.
Compassionate empathy does not always have to be an elaborate action plan. Sharing lessons learnt on your journey is enough to pull another person from a tough spot. One of the primary reasons this blog was started is so that it could be used as a platform to show empathy. It is no secret that there are hundreds of unemployed or underemployed Advocates. The need to show empathy, especially towards Rookies that are just finding their feet in the practice of law, can never be overemphasized.
Empathy for one another will translate into empathy for the clients and communities we serve. If lawyers do not show empathy to one another, can we truly say that we are empathetic towards our clients!?Think of it like the Nemo dat rule. You cannot pass on to another that which you do not truly possess.
Emotional intelligence as far as current technological advancements have gone cannot be automated. Developing and growing your emotional intelligence skills will prove to be invaluable in the years to come.
Mohsin Hamid, a Pakistani Novelist, said that “Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
Dear Rookie, our communities, our country, the world…need us to look outside of ourselves and find echoes that move us to make valuable contributions. Whether or not you feel it you do have something to give.
Dear Rockstar, find echoes of your once idealistic self in the many Rookies all around you and engage in meaningful work outside of your commercial endeavours. It has been said that you cannot be what you cannot see. Allow Rookies to sit with you and ‘see’ through you all that they can become.
The ‘echoes’ are there our only job is to find them!
