7 Weeks To a Better You - Week 3: Empathy

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth?

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Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate and develop your tremendous emotional potential. In this series you will learn the seven facets of your emotional attributes that define the spectrum of your personality, you will gain a clear picture — an “x-ray” — of your inner psyche, and how to harness and enhance the forces that make you tick.

In part 3, you will explore compassion and empathy — the attribute that defines harmony, beauty and truth. Are you a compassionate person? How do you express your empathy? Is it an extension of your own needs - caring out of guilt or with an ulterior motive - or is it coming from a deeper place?

Compassion and empathy are critical components in life; we need to both give it and receive it. Let us explore and navigate this emotional attribute and learn to understand how we can improve our compassion to actualize our lives and to illuminate and warm the world around us.

Watch last week's masterclass - 7 Weeks To a Better You - Week 2: Discipline:

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[Life_]

Thank you for the great teachings in this valuable video!

[romanshliachovski]

Thank you very much. I loved the explanation of beauty. Compassion has many faces, it is indeed very true. Show a contrast to different positive thing so they could be more appreciated is a very good way to show people that not everything is relative. תודה רבה.

[lightworker]

Excellent talk and the 27 minute mark was on point. People think compassion is feeling sorry for another person but it’s really honoring the person and helping them climb out of their specific situation. Compassion in Action is not judging others but doing something constructive to help lift their spirits, to help them out of their situation. We all go through life altering events and compassion from others gives us energy. As the Rabbi stated, we must use discernment in our compassion as enabling is nonproductive. Empathy is being able to feel within yourself what another person is going through. People may appear optimistic and happy but you know different as you can feel their energy and therefore try to help them.

[adridelarosaj]

Rabbi Simon, your talks have been an amazing blessing and incredible lessons in the most important things in life. I am savoring and enjoying learning and meditating on all these emotional attributes and insights -- especially as to how to train the muscles and harness the emotions to achieve better balance... This is powerful instruction. Thank you so very much.

[josephtorres]

Thank you Rabbi Jacobson for sharing your wisdom, God bless you sir 🙏

[TravisLee]

Very good video Rabbi, I wish you and yours the greatest of Blessings.

[marycross]

What is Empathy in the dictionary?
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
synonyms: compassion, sympathy, pity, feeling, concern, consideration, tenderness, kindness, sensitivity, insight, decency, humanity

Most people confuse empathy or compassion as unselfishness, self-sacrifice, doing the good work for the sake of others, or in other words being altruistic.

A good example is fortunate people who love to be virtuous about helping others because they can, or they are able. This is common in nobility, religious leaders, politician, or rich celebrities like Kelly Osborn who feels bad about the immigrant not being able to come here legally to the US but see the immigrant as people who cleans Donald Trump's toilet.

Is that empathy or compassion? or is it Altruism?
Is it pity by feeling bad or is it self-righteousness(feeling detach)?

Does she really feel bad for the immigrant?
or Does she feels bad because rich people might run out of cleaning ladies?
Is she not being altruistic?

Yes! most immigrants that are crossing are unfortunate people, they are indeed coming in for a better life (Who doesn't want that? Everybody wants that.) but if you are inviting them out self-righteousness without understanding, consideration, or concern about other factors that might be affected through this self-righteous? then you are most likely doing it for the wrong reason than doing it right. It is disingenuous. It is unconscious.

Other factors that are affected if a person has empathy...
The People who live close to the border are getting harassed by smugglers.
The People who are waiting from other countries getting approve the legal way.
The migrants who are dying of thirst or starvation at the border. (We've just witnessed one migrant drown crossing the river)
the children who are being trafficked by human traffickers
the woman getting raped and sold into prostitution, slaves, or organ harvesting.

What would the self-righteous feel about these other factors?

You see, It is easy to say "I feel bad" about something but if a person doesn't understand what real empathy is? then they should really feel bad.

What is Altruism in the dictionary?
Altruism: the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others:
synonyms: unselfishness · selflessness · self-sacrifice · self-denial · consideration · compassion · kindness · goodwill · decency · nobility · public-spiritedness

Who are the altruists?

Capitalists (nobility) cared about their resources "Mother Earth" and they tell others to show "EMPATHY" towards Mother Earth by making people not consume oxygen and releasing their toxic CO2, pretty much telling them not to breathe.

Religion cared about the downtrodden by telling its leaders to show their "Compassion" and "Empathy" towards them but they themselves oppress their own followers.

Politicians cared about the poor voter's rights and accuse the opposing party of not having "Empathy" and "Compassion" but they are just using people's misfortune to boost up their image just to get elected to power.

Celebrities cared about goodwill by telling their fans to show their "Compassion" and "Empathy" by buying tickets and merch that could go to a good cause.