In “The Empathy Trap” Robin Stern Ph.D. and Diana Divecha Ph.D. strongly suggest the idea of empathy, prioritizing your feelings, and taking accountability for your mental health, and they emphasize that how you treat others shows your character. They explain situations such as unequal power, how you handle your mental health, and how you as an individual can change the people around you by your actions. Stern and Divecha state that “those who regularly prioritize the feelings of others above their own needs often experience generalized anxiety or low-level depression.” You must put yourself first before anyone to be mentally stable. Often we tend to help others succeed rather than focusing on ourselves to succeed in life. As I’ve experienced in my personal life my grandmother worries about others rather than focusing on herself.
Stern and Divecha also state “Empathy is having its moment. The ability to feel what another person is feeling, from that person’s perspective, generates lots of press as the ultimate positive value and the pathway to a kinder, less violent world.” Stern and Divecha express in the text the idea of empathy which is to understand other individual’s feelings. In addition, relating to someone can help them be comfortable with others to fully express their feelings. My question is why does the human brain think to put others first before themselves? This quote is very powerful regardless that I can personally relate to it. This quote connects to my personal life because one time when someone said they were going through something I also related to it. My personal thoughts about this quote are very important. I think this is a very strong saying that can mean a lot to yourself and others in our society. As stated in the document I’ve experienced empathy relating to someone who has lost someone very close to them. When you can relate to someone they don’t feel left out of the picture and feel more comfortable sharing their situation with you. Stern and Divecha state, “ Pause (taking a deep breath helps) to check in with yourself what am I feeling right now? What do I need now? ” With the given information I know dealing with emotions and feelings helps check on yourself, taking deep breaths helps you calm down. As well as meditating can help the brain and mind settle down and stress-free.
Stern and Divecha also discuss the idea of others having more power than others which could result in unequal balances for others. This line stood out because I know this is a topic people can debate about for the common good. As well as how this issue came about in society today. In the text, Stern and Divecha discuss “Situations of unequal power can also create an imbalance between partners in giving or receiving empathy.” This quote is very strong. It talks about when one has more power or authority against one there is a relationship of an unequal power between the two. When others think of themselves as unequal, we often think about our wealth or what makes us different from others. The main point of this topic was to address the idea of empathy, and prioritizing yourself first before others. “The Empathy Trap” relates to a novel I have read in the past where it talks about empathy and the feelings of others. The novel was called “Empathy The Novel” in which it talked about others feelings and how you can relate to them and have a personal connection.
“In The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama, he strongly expresses the values, actions, and beliefs different individuals have on society. As stated in the text it states “ I might insist that they be held accountable for the results of such policies. I still find it possible, in talking to these men and women, to understand their motives, and to recognize in them values I share.” As Barack Obama expresses in the text he is trying to convey the importance of understanding the values and backgrounds of where others come from. In addition to helping develop a further relationship with other individuals. When we understand where others are coming from it gives us an idea of their lifestyle and what to expect from there forward.
Another example that Barack Obama addresses that shows how the government values our voice to give others the opportunity of equality states “ The legitimacy of our government and our economy depends on the degree to which these values are rewarded, which is why the values of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination complement rather than impinge on our liberty.” As Barack Obama expresses in the text he is trying to convey the values of others are rewarded. He also states that with our values we are given an equal opportunity to have our values and rights appointed towards us. The main idea of this topic mainly focused on the values, actions, and giving other opportunities and the concept of equality. The text “In The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama relates to a similar text I have read in the past called “A Brief HIstory of Equality” In which it talked about different individuals having the opportunity of being equal to each other. In addition to expressing the values and actions of others and their importance to society, as well as how it can impact others for the common good.
Stern and Divecha discuss the issue of empathy prioritizing your mental health, while Obama addresses the values, actions, and beliefs and the idea of allowing others the opportunity of their values and having their voice heard. “The Empathy Trap” by Stern Divecha really stood out to me due to the fact that they focus more than just empathy which is focusing on your mental health, and they suggest ways to help deal with that and calm you down. This makes me wonder why does the human brain think that way and not focus on themselves? "The Audacity of Hope'' by Barack Obama makes me think of the values and actions of a person who can really show their character to others and the society around them. Along with that it can change and impact others around us to make the world a better place.
My writing process for this essay was first looking at the topics of the articles and seeing which one interests me the most. When I figured out which articles interest me I then read them and annotated the key points in each article. Once I finished that process I started a rough draft to structure my essay to make sure it is presentable. I then put all my ideas together and got quotes from the passage to talk about in my commentary paragraph. The quotes in the passages led me to point out examples and my personal thoughts on the topic and how others can benefit from priozing your mental health, values, actions, and beliefs. For the conclusion, I discussed what key points stood out to me in each article as well as what others can get out of this reading.