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It sometimes feels as though the world is running low on empathy. Global conflict, refugee crises, and a rise in race-related hate crimes can make it seem as though everyone has given up on coming together.
However, just because adults today find it hard to get along, that doesn’t mean future generations won’t benefit from empathetic decision-making skills. Young leaders like Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai show that empathy is alive and well within young folks today and can be used to lead us towards a better future.
If you’re inspired by young leaders like Greta Thunberg, you can start to work on empathetic decision-making skills with your own children. Even small steps like teaching them the value of sharing can help your child become a leader of the future that you are proud of.
What is Empathy?
You have probably heard leaders and activists talk about empathy in the past few years. But what, exactly, is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to feel another person’s emotions, thoughts, or feelings. Being empathetic is an important life skill, as it can help avoid conflict and improve collaboration.
Researchers today split empathy up into “affective empathy” and “cognitive empathy”. Cognitive empathy occurs when you imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes. As the name suggests, it requires you to think and consider what another person is going through. Affective empathy is more immediate and usually occurs as soon as we see someone experiencing an emotion like pain or distress.
Empathy is an important part of all egalitarian societies and is necessary to ensure that everyone can live their lives with dignity and respect. Empathy can be used to push social change and galvanize support for issues revolving around human rights and well-being.
Being empathetic also makes everyone’s day-to-day life better. Small acts of kindness and love can go a long way when people are down or face a major challenge in their life. If your child learns to make empathetic decisions, they’re more likely to support their peer groups and community in later life.
Decision-Making as a Skill
We all make thousands of decisions every day. But when was the last time you stopped and asked yourself “why am I choosing ‘x’ over ‘y’”?
Most decisions that we make are straightforward and don’t require any additional training or attention. However, teaching your child how to make intentional decisions based on thoughts, emotions, and assessment of the situation will set them up for success in life.
There are plenty of different decision-making models to choose from. Start simple in a low-stakes environment. For example, if you donate some portion of your paycheck to charities, consider involving your child in the decision-making process.
Make sure you slow down and work through the seven steps of the decision-making process together. Introduce them to the decision you want to make and work together to gather the information you need. Once you’ve gathered all the background information you can find, research alternatives and weigh them up by considering the impact your decision will make. Once you’ve taken action, review the consequences together and try to assess what went well.
Of course, this will look different depending on the age of your child. Choose an age-appropriate decision together and take your time researching and debating the choice.
You should pay particular attention to the role of empathy within your research and when considering alternatives. If you’re ever stuck during the process, try to prompt your child to think more empathetically and imagine themselves from the position of another person who may be affected by the decision.
Gaining Experience
You should start to develop empathetic decision-making skills in a low-stakes environment. However, when your child starts to mature, it’s worth going out into the real world and trying to make a difference in your local community.
There are plenty of community-based activities that you and your child can partake in together. Some of the best volunteering opportunities like creating green spaces in abandoned spaces will improve the safety of your neighborhood. Your child can also gain experience by volunteering together at shelters and soup kitchens that promote empathy and help uplift your community.
Taking action is an important part of empathetic decision-making. However, taking the right action also takes experience. You can help your child gain experience as an empathetic thinker by encouraging them to read more often. Reading forces us to think from the perspective of someone else and can significantly improve decision-making in young leaders.
Conclusion
Empathetic decision-making is integral to the success of future generations. You can help your child learn to empathize with others by getting involved in local community projects and practicing decision-making together. Try to start in a low-stakes setting so they have a chance to gain experience without any major consequences. As they mature, work towards issues you both care about.
