Empathy

[dean meason]

Empathy is at the core of human spiritual experience. As a point of departure, the following definition works well. "The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner ; also : the capacity for this".For many the definition is not necessary although the word is being used in a variety of differant ways.
My question would be, if empathy is one of Gods gifts, why is it so often discussed from a predominantly defensive veiwpoint?
Peace....Dean

[Allison Brody]

thats a good question.
i have no idea how to answer that

[dean meason]

Give it a try.
Peace....Dean

[dean meason]

Tom, What pray tell is considered a strength?
Peace.....Dean

[dean meason]

Tom, Perhaps we should turn this discussion over to a mother. The empathetical bonding of mother and child is awesome. Dare I say strong?
Peace....Dean

[Allison Brody]

probably because we feel others feelings if a person gets defensive we also get defensive.

[dean meason]

Allow me to try and make the original question clearer.
My mother and I were bonded as it by super glue. For many years, I was totally unaware of this. When she had a pain, I had a pain, When she felt anxiety, I felt anxiety. You cannot imagine the hours that I spent in trying to find the cause of (my anxiety). The anxiety was not mine, it was my mothers. With this realization, resolution became not easy but simple.
Most of the literarure on this subject deals with building some sort of magical protection system around oneself ranging from a bubble of white light to the great wall of china. Methinks there must be a better way. What say you?
Peace....Dean