A Highly Empathetic Person?

Today Garrett and I were discussing empathy. Our collective brain power defined empathy as the ability to understand another persons thoughts and feelings and to try and feel what they are going through in that moment.

This led us to do some research. We had an idea of what empathy was, but how do we apply it?

This is an article titled "Six Habits of Highly Empathetic People".

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_habits_of_highly_empathic_people1

Fabulous.

This was what I got out of it:

Highly empathetic people value your opinion. You like them, and want to be around them. They are genuinely interested in what is happening inside your head. They express curiosity in strangers. They are "interested inquirers" not examiners. They are open-minded and seek to understand perspectives of their "enemies" or those who oppose them.

Empathy is an attitude.

This turned my mind to the ultimate form of empathy which, when coupled with action cultivates charity. In Alma 7: 12 Christ displays undeniable love, compassion and charity:

Christ atoned for our sins and knows everything we have ever experienced. This is why He knows exactly how to succor us and bring us back to the fold. I couldn't help but notice the full circle here. We cannot suffer what Christ suffered, but He can give us the gift of the Spirit. If we pray for guidance through the Spirit and follow Christ's example we can employ empathy in our thinking we can then succor others.

"It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love—show forth our kindness unto all mankind, and the Lord will reward us with everlasting increase."

-Joseph Smith Jr.