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Facebook: Chase Tachau
Ed interviews Chase
How did you feel about the empathy circle?
During the empathy circle, it brought my attention to how useful and important empathy is. How it can be applied to every conversation. It made me very aware.
Did it feel comfortable to you?
It still feels a little unnatural that people don’t just repeat back what they hear, but it is an exercise that helps strengthen the empathy muscle.
Metaphor: Practicing empathy is like going to the gym and lifting weights. We don’t lift weights in public, yet benefit from the practice.
How is your experience with improv connected to empathy?
When practicing improv, I see empathy everywhere, how I can help the other person receive what I am saying. With acting, a lot of energy is spent considering how they other person is going to receive me.
Thinking about the “never disagree,” have you done any Meisner Technique repetition exercises in improv?
Not sure, maybe something like that.
The exercise in practicing noticing the other person, and repeating back, sensitized Chase to all the little details about the other person in an interaction.
Edwin’s Notes
Did you get a lot out of the empathy circle?
yes made me more aware about empathy?
did it feel comfortable?
it doesn’t feel natural, people don’t do this on a regular basis, but it still helps as an exercise. it’s like the gym,, it strengthens the muscle but it will not be the same
Do you see a connection with improv?
empathy is one of the biggest thing I’m doing.. I’m seeing how I can help the other person, how to make it flow, mindspace is thinking about the other person and how it’s going to work for them
Did you do the Meisner technique?
Repeat what you heard, until you heard something new. You may not have noticed it before because you were thinking about yourself or something else.
Ed Interviewee Name: Chase
Insight: Bright, naturally curious, having fun with this exercise. no problem. very positive
process is awakened, he is marvelous
Feedback:
thankful, try to be positive and playful.
Feeling
fun
Needs
growth
learning
involvement
I Like… we all connected through something most of us had never done before.
Wish… we all could connect more easily although we have our different perspectives
What if… - empathy was a habit that everyone used on a daily basis.
Intention
I set the intention to increase my understanding of empathy and practice effective use of it.
Wendy interviews Chase
How was your experience of the Empathy Circle?
Easier to listen and speak when there is a connection and trust among participants.
More enjoyable to do empathy circles with people he knows.
I’ve done it before, with 3 people I know, doing it with people I know is more enjoyable.
This one was cooler because I know people,
What made it easier to do with people you know ?
It’s harder to share while simultaneously building a connection with people.
Do you try to practice empathy in your daily life.?
I do. sometimes, it gets hard because I want to talk about myself while other people want to talk about themselves.
Empathy is a high priority for me, and I still end up speaking about myself. I still forget the POV of others, and take my own.
I may not always be attuned to empathizing when speaking with others.
i try to understand and have empathy even when it’s not my focus. and I think I offer more empathy than most people who may not make time for it at all.
I dont’ try to have empathy with every single encounter. I do it more than the average person would.
Do you find yourself exercising empathy more with people you know than people you don’t know ?
Less focus and effort are required to empathize with people I know vs people I don’t know. More fluid, less complicated
when you don’t know them, it takes a lot more to figure out if you don’t know.
What is your
What is your goals in empathizing with people?
I will feel better with myself and can help or offer to help that person.
being on the same page with people
it’s hard to say. more on the same page, the more connection and more enjoyment.
to be nice to people and get it in return
empathizing with others helps me feel better in myself because I understand what’s needed and how to help. I can be there for people or happy with them, when I know where they are at. Being on the same page as people. So hard to articulate.
Would you say you feel good about yourself? How do you feel about yourself when you practice empathy?
I like to practice because I know I will get better,
More empathy in my life
How would worldwide empathy impact the world?
Whoa. People would be nicer to each other. Empathy is putting yourself in hands of others, and mutual trust, reciprocal attention. People will take care of each other’s needs, not just their own needs. It would promote more trust and people taking care of each other.
Wendy Interviewee Name: Chase
Insight: That empathy should be practiced daily and the world will be a better place.
Feedback: empathy made a priority
Feeling
eager
hopeful
open
determination
commitment
Needs
valuing empathy, get others on the same page
Intention:
My intention is to get a better understanding of the workshop’s goal
Wendy interviews Chase
What was your experience of the Empathy Circle?
What parts of the Empathy Circle did you have trouble with and why?
Etc.
Wendy: Why is empathy important to you?
Chase- Emp is imp to me because i like to be nice to people and have more authentic connections with people. i like understanding where ppl come from and when people understand where i am coming from.
more authentic connections wi
Wendy: Do you think your upbringing influences why empathy is imp to you?
Chase - it is more than influence, it was teaching.
Wendy: Let me rephrase it, were you born with it or was it from your parents?
Chase - i agree that my empathy was in me and in my upbringing. the reasons for me thinking the things i think is because of how i was brought up. if i was brought up with different parent, i would be different. it wasn’t only in me since i was born. the way i was brought up influenced how important it is to me, but not intentionally.
Wendy are you saying it was part of you and your upbringing fostered and cultivated it?
Chase - anything part of me is a result of my upbringing. If i was brought up in a different culture, i’d think differently, and have different values
Wendy - How would Emp education impact schools and communities?
Chase - People would be nicer to each other and there would be less aggression and violence. verbal, physical etc violence
less aggression and unnecessary violence
Wendy- that’s how it would impact community as well
Chase - in school, it would be less performance based and less competitive, and people would get farther. people get farther lifting other people up than stepping on others.
Wendy- Do you think it would lift all of these traits, are you aware of them?
Chase- I’m aware of most of them. I had done it before so I was thought to do empathic listening.
Wendy- do you think this comes naturally?
Chase - I don’t think 90 % of ppl would repeat back what they’re hearing.
Wendy- Do you ever see our world at some point becoming a more empathic world, on a global world leader range
Chase: its a conscious effort to listen empathically. My first empathy circle people want to talk and be storytellers and share their stories rather than focusing on others, therefore active listening is unnatural.
Wendy: Do you ever see our world at some point becoming a more empathic world, not only on our level, but on that of world leaders?
Chase: It is definitely possible?
Wendy- can it be accomplished?
Chase: I really don’t know. Worldwide empathy can be accomplished. half worldwide, maybe or 3/5ths of the world. people are too different. too many different places.
Wendy Interviewee Name: Chase
Insight: Chase believes that empathy would promote kindness
Feelings
hopeful
optimistic
safe
Needs
positive
authenticity
mutuality
genuine connections
Intentions
To be empathetic to everyone in the circle and to contribute to our goal.
Empathy Circle
how are you?
it’s a cool connection that I create the design chat
and that we are here now
looking forward how Shelly will affect the dynamics of the group.
don’t have much more to say.
interested in the next class - interested in getting into the research and brainstorming
Edwin interviews Chase
Edwin: Hey Chase, so can you tell me about your experience? What was your experience the fourth time around?
Chase: It feels almost repetitive and stagnant, because we haven’t made a thing, created something. and that’s just the way i look at things. haven't’ gone anywhere. we’re stuck in place. repetitive. makes me lose interest. I feel like we uncovered this new thing looking into emotions. whole new can of worms.
Edwin: You’re feeling that the empathy circle is stagnant because that sense of creation. What could help that?
Chase: we were talking about the empathy tents and bring empathy into the world, farmers mkts, so i feel thats a thing that could happen. or develop something for everywhere, i don’t know what we’re supposed to create. the new way of doing the EC, possible new way of listening to emotions.
Edwin:
Chase: I would definitely be interested in leading EC. outside
Edwin: How do you feel about your ability to host an empathy circle?
Chase: i think i cld do it. i did it w/ my family. I’ve hosted EC. I have a good understanding of it. I could explain it to someone.
Edwin: This week if you were to put together an empathy circle now how would you go about doing it?
Chase: I like the idea of doing to farmers mkt and setting up a tent. I feel like it would be fun to do it. not sure about details.
Edwin: So it sounds like you're really itching to start doing it and implement the empathy circle maybe lead one.
Chase: i like doing a lot more than and making than talking.
Edwin: Ok so what other making ideas do you have what’s coming up around the notion of making?
chase: putting more felt experiences in the circle. that’s what wks for me the best.
Edwin: So if we look at, kind of add those layers we were talking about add that felt experience. We were talking about empathy, why is empathy important to you?
Chase: empathy is important, Shelley said it communities, relationships and connections is what really matters, i feel that’s important too. Empathy is the simplest way to relate to people on a humane level..
Edwin: Thank you Chase
Edwin interview Chase
Insight: Chase feels the Empathy Circle is redundant, and would like to do or make something that promotes empathy
Feedback: Antsy rather than frustrated. more creating or creativity
Feelings
antsy
growing
disinterest
Needs
to be active in the process
More creation and change in the practices
Brainstorm
How Might We… create more safe and authentic connection with feelings in the empathy circle?
Having the empathy circle in person.
Adding a topic or theme to each empathy circle so everyone doesn’t have to worry about bringing up something too emotional.
Doing empathy circles with friends/family/people you know so that you’re all already comfortable with each other.
Empathic listening to felt experiences or feelings instead of words.
Having people warm up to each other through getting to know each other or multiple empathy circles before getting into emotional topics.
Doing an empathy circle with the topic of our HMW statement.
Intention
My intention is to focus on the Inspiration Phase.
Report
The meeting started with a completely wide open goal and as we progressed through the 6 of us leading our own tasks, our goal became clearer. Then we planned out a way to research our problem so that we may act upon it.
I enjoyed narrowing our goals down to something more simple so that we now have a plan.
Intention
I set the intention to create an action plan to finish research and create a new empathy circle for high schooled kids
Chase talks to Lewis
interviewed friend .
explained empathy circle.
demonstrated and did circle.
did interview - then got ice cream
was interesting - wanted to do something engaging.
hard to explain… going for ice cream was telling of something.
can lose interest for some people.
first question. he’d like to add his own opinion. felt it was one dimensional.
what about the people who are not talking. how about everyone is able to go. ie talk,
one on one empathic listening?
in camp they have everyone is involved, one go at the same time.
chase interviewed jacob about the ec after he did one with lewis and jacob
chase hoped to re-do the ec after the interview, however they went for ice cream instead
reflecting on it, going for ice cream was interesting. in trying to make something make something more engaging, they ended up going elsewhere. Chase realized that teens may benefit from ec's in dyads rather than in group. Teen programs may benefit from all people participating and eliminating the observation
Lee-Anne interviews Chase
L: Interested in hearing how role playing would wk in an EC w/ your improv background
Chase: I think its situational i think its different for a lot of kids because not everyone has an improv background, for that specific background and kids who have that it would be superb, because a lot of improv games are very close to active listening, there are a lot of games that are just almost there, im positive that improv kids would be down
L: Please tell me abt some improve games that promote empathic listening and empathic speaking
Chase: em is i don’t know what they’re called but do you want me to just explain? 2 people sit in chairs in front of each other, and they notice what they are seeing in each others and they continue speaking that they are noticing things until they notice a new thing, and if you want to go deeper you can make inferences into how the other person feels based on their body language. I thought it was close because you really have to pay attention to how theyre feeling. You have to investigate.
[edwin idea. yes, and exercises. create a compendium of activities that can be used in an empathy circle. do a motion and people build on it.]
L: so, you’re telling me abt an improv game where 2 ppl set across each other, noticing what ea. person is doing. what physical motions are saying abt the person’s feelings
Chase: Yes but they both can be the guesser. In the game whenever you notice something you say it and you go into that back and forth thing
L: so the listening and speaking happens organically?
Chase:
L: any other games in mind?
Chase: Yeha there's a lot in improv that's related to empathy. there's games where one person stands in the middle of a room and they start space working and someone else walks in and has to guess what the first person is doing. That requires a lot of empathy, the first person has to do something obvious enough and the other person walk in in has to figure it out.
L: this sounds like a non-verbal example of Edwin’s EC, instead of listening to someone but observing physical movements.
Chase: Its a lot like the movement thing wehrer people stretch the only difference is that youre cooking or sweeping or baking or building, it has to be something distinct.
L: Unlike physical mirroring, this one has purpose, meaning, goals, objectives.
Chase:
Edwin interviews Chase
Edwin: So you’ve been hearing these questions does anything come up around making empathy circles fun and engaging?
Chase: The thing I said before about being in large groups of teens for activities, teens split up in groups so that everyone is engaged in smaller groups. EC's in dyads and reconvene in the larger group afterwards.
Edwin: So the idea there is to do it in paris as opposed to 3 or 4 bigger groups
Chase: yes
Edwin: Can you tell me about the exercises that you did, what was a real example, can you walk us through one that you did maybe at camp?
Chase: can't remember now
Edwin: How about, what is a real meaningful 1 to 1 conversation you’ve had with a highschool student
Chase: I had a conversation with another HS student so we were already friends and connected. As such we could go deeper into conversation. Easier to open to friends.
Edwin: When you had a really meaningful conversation with someone who was a highschool student, and the encounter
Chase: easier to open up with a friend
Edwin: Would you be able to recount the generalities of the it, where were you how did it go etc?
Chase: at the park, talking about life. We were at the doughnut shop and having a discussion about life, deep stuff. Most deep conversations aren't specific, just how the person is. Where are your intentions place? What's working? What bothered you?
Edwin: So that conversation is just you getting together with your brother or a friend or to at the doughnut shop and just talking about life?
Chase: they happen spontaneously and organically.
Edwin: Is there one that was like a peak experience? In terms of depth.
Chase: not that i can recall now.
Edwin: So they’re all pretty similar?
Chase: ya
Edwin: was there one that was really bad? What happened?
Chase: i couldn't even continue the conversation altogether and the whole thing falls apart....
Edwin:
Chase: I would empathically listen and empathize, and i'd understand where they were coming from, but if I can't agree.
[edwin idea: find moments like Chase talked about with frustration in dialog with friends and see how to apply empathic listening. Step back from the circle to just empathic listening and foucs on that aspect]
Edwin Interview Chase
Insight: There are moments when Chase is in a dialog with people and couldn't even continue the conversation because he doesn’t agree with what they are saying and the whole thing falls apart.. He empathizes to a point and then stops empathizing with them. more I disagree breaks down my empathy. the more I don’t understand.
Feelings
frustration
withdrawal
confused discouraged
hopeless.
Needs
understanding
reciprocal empathy
Lewis Interview Wendy
Insight: Wendy doesn’t seem to think that HS Students would be interested in EC because they are not exposed to/interested in empathy beyond that which is typical in everyday conversations and life.
Feedback: discouraged, determined, engagement?
Feelings
discouraged
determined
Needs
Interest in EC/Empathy from HS Students
Lee-Anne Interview Chase
Insight: teens need improv games to help get engaged in activities that cultivate empathic listening and speaking
Feedback: may not need games but could be a hook for those interested in imporv. stuckness? engagement
Feelings
Needs
engagement
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