EMPATHY & ITS IMPORATNCE

Empathy in lay man's language means putting your feet in other person's shoes or assuming yourself in other's situation or looking from other person's perspectives. Empathy is a very important tool for effective communication . Unless & until we do not put our self in other person's situation or position we cannot understand that individual's behavior accurately .In this context I am sharing with you my personal life experience.

I was around 9 & was studying in second standard of Hill Grange High School . One day my class teacher announced that there is a Puppet show in Prithvi theatre & the ticket is 15 Rs per head . All the students who wish to attended the show have to pay 15 Rs within 3 days .I told my mother about the puppet show but my mother refused & I informed the teacher too about it. However except for me all my classmates paid for the show. My class teacher than announced that there will be on holiday for the students , all students have to come to school on regular time & till 11.00 am there will be classes & than all the students who have paid will be taken to the theatre for the Puppet show by the school bus. So according to the teachers instructions I went to school on the day when the teacher was going to take students for the puppet show.As usual the teacher thought us till 11.00 am & than asked all the students to pack their bags & should get ready to leave for the Puppet show. I too packed my bag & was about to leave for my home as I was not going for the show but my class teacher came to me & said that all the students are going for the show except for me & I should also not miss that show. I said to my teacher that my parents are not allowing me & also I do not have 15 Rs right now to pay for the ticket . My teacher told that it is ok & I can pay later. After thinking for a while I agreed & along with other students I too boarded in the school bus to go for the puppet show.It took nearly half an hour to reach the theatre . The show was approximately 2 hours long but I was not enjoying it because I was feeling very hungry & I did not have the lunch box nor money to buy something from the theatre canteen. Still I managed to watch the show. Around 1.30 pm we again left from the theatre & came back to school around 2.00 pm. Since I was feeling very hungry I ran & went to my house. My house was within a stones throw from the school so I reached home in 5 minutes.

When I reached home my mother was red in anger , in loud voice she asked me where I was for last three hours ? As I had promised to come at home from school around 11.00 am . She said that since I did not come back from school for so long she searched me in the whole school premises & she even enquired about me from other teachers & school staff. My mother scolded me very badly , she told that she was about to call my father to inform him about the missing of their daughter from the school. After hearing her shouting I told that I was about to come home but the teacher told me that all students are going & I should also accompany , therefore I went with the other students for the puppet show.On hearing this she calmed down for a while & than told me not to go any where without informing her hence forth. I said ok. Although I said sorry to my mother but from within I felt that why she shouted at me , I just went with the other students of my class . I thought that why she is so tensed if I did not come home on time . It is ok if I am late. That day I did not realize my mother's behavior because I did not put my feet in her shoes may be because of my age. However now when I think of the same incident & imagine my self as mother of 9 years old girl & my daughter going for a puppet show from school without informing me I feel that my mother was right . I realized her emotions & feel how worried she must be for me that day when I went for the Puppet show without informing her.Thus Empathy is very essential it enable us to understand other individual's behavior properly & it also help us to give right decision. Therefore first empathize i.e. is put your feet in other's shoes & than only give your opinion or decision.