Interviewer: Samira Ahmed
Interviewee: My mother
Transcribers
Name 1:
Name 2:
Text below:
1. What is your definition of empathy?
Ability to feel someone’s pain regardless of the relationship to the person. Without thinking about the person’s background, religion, political affiliation or gender.
2. How does self-empathy enrich your life?
3. What might be the results if we do not have an empathetic approach?
We would live in a world without humanity and goodness.
4. Were you born with empathy (it has always come naturally to you) or did you receive training? If training, what kind?
Its natural to be empathetic. It’s the other way around not being empathetic is due to outside effectors.
5. What tools or skills do you think are needed for someone to be empathetic?
Immerse themselves into other people’s lives. Conversations.
6. When you have been faced with an extremely unhappy person, how did you use empathy to bring them out of the unhappiness?
Pat on the shoulder
7. Describe an early experience of understanding empathy?
When a family member calls from Africa just to say hi. I understand that they are in need and I don’t let them ask for the money. I send it without letting them feel bad about asking for it.
8. What motivates you to learn about empathy?
I don’t need to learn about empathy. I want other people to learn about empathy.
9. How is empathy demonstrated in gestures and bodily language?
Open (not crossed) arms. Smile. Eye contact.
10. How could understanding empathy improve your relationships?
Deepen and enhance the relationship with others
11. Are you aware of your emotions to the point you acknowledge them and don't feel held by them? Please describe:
Yes
12. What keeps people from being empathic? What are sources of resistance?
Tendency to label people. With political affiliations, religion and or economical status.
13. How do you believe empathy could improve humanity’s global connection?
More peaceful world.
14. What are the unspoken things that made you realize what others felt in certain situations?
Words spoken. Tone. body language and avoiding eye contact.
15. There is a lot of fear around the world towards terrorist acts, how could empathy potentially solve this?
Through conversation
16. Tell me about a time when you experienced a lack of empathy in a work situation?
Not working
17. How can we teach others about empathy without them knowing it?
Showing them empathy.
18. How are empathy, sympathy, apathy and compassion different?
They are related. All fall into empathy.
19. What would you most like to learn about empathy?
Understanding why people at some time loses their empathy
20. Why is empathy so important to humanity?
Live in a peaceful world without poverty, injustice or discrimination.