L: Anxiety-Fear

In this Lesson: Participants read about the nature of anxiety and fear and its affects. They talked about their personal stresses, anxieties and fears in an empathy circle.

A Series of Lessons

This could be a series of 4 to 6 or more Empathy Circles or even an ongoing series.

Summary

Participants read about the nature of anxiety and fear and its affects. They talked about their personal stresses, anxieties and fears in an empathy circle. Also how the facing our fears with mutual empathic listening can transform and overcome them. How fear can be empathically transformed into connection, calmness, creativity and innovation.

Anxiety, stress and fear is a block to a culture of empathy. It also sets the stage for authoritarianism and dictatorships. It becomes an organizing value for dictatorship.

Empathy Circles are an 'authoritarianism transformation' practice. They are not 'against' authoritarianism, but are for transforming it into a culture of empathy. It's about fostering mutual listening to the feelings and concerns and felt needs of everyone, including those who advocate for authoritarianism. We listen to, and empathize with, the feelings and concerns of people that want a culture of authority.

We are 'for building a culture of empathy' and we want to empathize with anyone that is against that.

Resources

• Question: EXPRESS FEAR

• Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

• Barack Obama in his speech for 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela talks about

  • A politics of fear.

  • "History shows the power of fear"

  • "we need to find ways to lesson the fears of those who feel threatened."

Read

• Trump Divided America With Psychology — Here's How We Heal

  • "f there’s one thing that Trump understands, it’s how to benefit politically from manufacturing fear and division. He may only be following his gut instincts, but it’s strategic psychological manipulation nonetheless."

  • Trump provokes anxiety in both the right and the left perhaps equally, albeit in very different ways. For the right, he fuels their fears about minorities and dissimilar others, calling Hispanic immigrants “murderers and rapists,” and stating in blanket-fashion that “Islam hates us."

  • ” For the left, President Trump is the fear."

• Fear and Anxiety Drive Conservatives' Political Attitudes

• Can brain differences explain conservatives' fear-driven political stances?

• The Stress Solution: Using Empathy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Anxiety and Develop Resilience

Lesson Meeting Agenda

BEGIN

* ON ARRIVAL QUESTION

* INTENTION SETTING: OPENING

* MIRRORING FEELINGS

* EMPATHY CIRCLE

Topic: Share fears you have.

* INTENTION SETTING: CLOSING

END

Some Phrases

• • Put the fear on the table.

  • Share it with others.It’s there to look at. It’s not detached . it’s outside.

  • Look at the feelings around, in it. How does it look.

• Facing exploring,

• meeting your fear.

• “Hello Fear”

• “Welcome fear”

• Fear welcome here”

• Invite your fear to the table.

• Invite your fear to coffee.

• Hangout with your fear.

• Searching for your fears.

• Put your fear under the microscope.

• Dissect your fear.

Empathy and Fear Quotes

Peace requires something far more difficult than revenge or merely turning the other cheek; it requires empathizing with the fears and unmet needs that provide the impetus for people to attack each other. Being aware of those feelings and needs, people lose their desires to attack back because they see the human ignorance leading to those attacks. Instead, their goal becomes providing the empathic connection and education that will enable them to transcend their violence and engage in cooperative relationships.

- Marshall Rosenberg

Power-Over leads to punishment and violence. Power-With leads to compassion and understanding, and to learning motivated by reverence for life rather than fear, guilt, shame, or anger.

- Marshall Rosenberg

We want to take action out of the desire to contribute to life rather than out of fear, guilt, shame, or obligation.

- Marshall Rosenberg

Fear of corporal punishment obscures children's awareness of the compassion underlying the parent's demands.

- Marshall Rosenberg

When we fear punishment, we focus on consequences, not on our own values.

- Marshall Rosenberg

"Fear of punishment diminishes self-esteem and goodwill."

- Marshall Rosenberg

LESSON OUTLINE

SORT TITLE

TITLE

BY

OBJECTIVES: Purpose of this Activity:

• for participants to see how a master empathic listener does listening

DESCRIPTION

VIDEO DESCRIPTION

VIDEO EXAMPLE

SUPPLIES NEEDED

TIME NEEDED

HOW DOES THIS ACTIVITY FOSTER EMPATHY?

REFERENCE LINKS

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

ETC