Tag: EMPATHY

Communication Skills in Social Work: An In-Depth Exploration

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by Kavita Dehalwar

Communication skills are pivotal in the field of social work, as they enable practitioners to effectively engage with clients, collaborate with colleagues, and advocate for change. Social workers must navigate complex situations involving diverse individuals and communities, making the mastery of communication a cornerstone of professional competence.

1. Types of Communication Skills in Social Work

A. Verbal Communication

Verbal communication involves spoken words and is essential for interviewing clients, conducting assessments, and sharing information. Key aspects include:

  • Clarity and Simplicity: Using language that clients can easily understand.
  • Empathy: Showing understanding and compassion through tone and word choice.
  • Active Listening: Engaging with clients by giving verbal feedback, such as paraphrasing or summarizing their concerns.

B. Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal cues, such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures, often convey more than words. Social workers should:

  • Maintain open and approachable body language.
  • Use eye contact appropriately, respecting cultural sensitivities.
  • Be mindful of physical proximity to create a comfortable environment.

C. Written Communication

Writing is critical for case notes, reports, and correspondence with agencies. Effective written communication requires:

  • Precision: Ensuring accuracy in documentation.
  • Professionalism: Adhering to formal standards and avoiding colloquial language.
  • Confidentiality: Protecting client information in all written records.

D. Digital Communication

With the increasing use of technology, social workers must be adept at digital communication. This includes:

  • Email and Messaging: Using professional etiquette in digital correspondence.
  • Virtual Meetings: Employing video conferencing tools effectively.
  • Social Media: Engaging responsibly and ethically online.

2. Key Communication Techniques

A. Active Listening

Active listening involves fully concentrating on the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully. Techniques include:

  • Reflecting emotions to show empathy.
  • Avoiding interruptions or premature judgments.
  • Asking open-ended questions to encourage elaboration.

B. Empathy and Validation

Demonstrating empathy helps build trust and rapport. Validation involves acknowledging clients’ feelings and experiences, making them feel heard and understood.

C. Cultural Competence

Social workers often work with diverse populations, necessitating an awareness of cultural differences in communication styles. This includes:

  • Learning about clients’ cultural backgrounds.
  • Avoiding assumptions or stereotypes.
  • Being respectful of linguistic preferences and needs, such as using interpreters when necessary.

D. Conflict Resolution

Social workers frequently mediate disputes. Effective conflict resolution requires:

  • Clear articulation of the issues at hand.
  • Remaining neutral and unbiased.
  • Facilitating dialogue that promotes mutual understanding.

E. Advocacy Communication

Advocating for clients involves persuasive and impactful communication. Social workers must present arguments convincingly to policymakers, organizations, and other stakeholders.

3. Challenges in Communication

Social workers may encounter barriers that hinder effective communication:

  • Language Differences: Overcoming language barriers requires creativity, such as employing interpreters or translation tools.
  • Emotional Distress: Clients in crisis may struggle to articulate their feelings, necessitating a calm and patient approach.
  • Nonverbal Misinterpretation: Cultural variations in nonverbal communication can lead to misunderstandings.
  • Technology Access: Digital communication may be inaccessible to some clients, requiring alternative methods.

4. Improving Communication Skills

A. Training and Education

Regular training on communication techniques can enhance a social worker’s ability to engage with clients effectively.

B. Self-Reflection

Reflecting on personal biases and communication patterns can help identify areas for improvement.

C. Feedback and Supervision

Seeking feedback from supervisors and peers provides valuable insights into one’s communication strengths and weaknesses.

D. Adaptability

Tailoring communication styles to suit individual clients ensures messages are received and understood.

5. Ethical Considerations in Communication

Social workers must adhere to ethical standards in all communication, which include:

  • Confidentiality: Ensuring privacy and discretion in all interactions.
  • Informed Consent: Clearly explaining services and obtaining consent.
  • Professional Boundaries: Avoiding inappropriate or overly personal communication.

6. The Role of Communication in Social Work Practice

Effective communication is integral to various aspects of social work:

  • Building Trust: Open communication fosters trust between clients and social workers.
  • Problem-Solving: Clear articulation of problems and solutions helps clients navigate challenges.
  • Advocacy and Awareness: Social workers use communication to advocate for social justice and inform the public about pressing social issues.

Conclusion

Mastering communication skills is essential for social workers to fulfill their roles effectively. From empathetic listening to clear advocacy, the ability to communicate well impacts the outcomes of social work interventions significantly. Ongoing development in this area ensures that social workers can continue to empower individuals and communities in meaningful ways.

References

Dinham, A. (2006). A review of practice of teaching and learning of communication skills in social work education in England. Social work education, 25(8), 838-850.

Forrester, D., Kershaw, S., Moss, H., & Hughes, L. (2008). Communication skills in child protection: How do social workers talk to parents?. Child & Family Social Work, 13(1), 41-51.

Koprowska, J. (2007). Communication skills in social work. In Social work: A companion to learning (pp. 123-133). SAGE Publications Ltd.

Lefevre, M., Tanner, K., & Luckock, B. (2008). Developing social work students’ communication skills with children and young people: A model for the qualifying level curriculum. Child & Family Social Work, 13(2), 166-176.

Ogbanga, M. M. (2024). Communication Skills in Social Work. EduPedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Ogbanga, M. M., & Bukie, B. F. (2024). Traditional Institutions and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria: A Social Work Analysis.

Ogbanga, M. M. (2024). Oil, Gender and Unemployment: Social Issues in the Niger. Eduindex.

Richards, S., Ruch, G., & Trevithick, P. (2005). Communication skills training for practice: the ethical dilemma for social work education. Social work education, 24(4), 409-422.

Trevithick, P. (2005). Social work skills. Berkshire: Open University Press.

What is Empathy

 Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. 

Empathy is, at its simplest, awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is a key element of Emotional Intelligence, the link between self and others, because it is how we as individuals understand what others are experiencing as if we were feeling it ourselves.

Empathy goes far beyond sympathy, which might be considered ‘feeling for’ someone. Empathy, instead, is ‘feeling with’ that person, through the use of imagination.


On the other hand, sympathy involves understanding from your own perspective. Empathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and understanding why they may have these particular feelings. In becoming aware of the root cause of why a person feels the way they do; we can better understand and provide healthier options.

“Unsympathetic” is a word that may be used to describe a person who lacks empathy. Someone may also use the terms “insensitive or “uncompassionate” to describe people who lack empathy.

 

Signs of a Lack of Empathy

  • Being extremely critical of other people.
  • Blaming the victim.
  • Not forgiving people for making mistakes.
  • Feeling like other people are too sensitive.
  • Not listening to other people’s perspectives or opinions.
  • An inability to cope with emotional situations.

 

What causes lack of empathy?

 

Low emotional intelligence, burnout, and stress
Being under prolonged stress may also lead someone to be less tolerant of other people’s behavior and have lower cognitive empathy. In some cases, emotional avoidance may also be a reason why someone may not develop or practice empathy.

 

Elements of Empathy

 

Understanding Others

Developing Others

Having a Service Orientation

Leveraging Diversity

Political Awareness

1.Understanding Others: This is perhaps what most people understand by ‘empathy’ “sensing others’ feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns”. Those who do this:

·         Tune into emotional cues. They listen well, and also pay attention to non-verbal communication, picking up subtle cues almost subconsciously. For more, see our pages on Listening Skills and Non-Verbal Communication.

·         Show sensitivity, and understand others’ perspectives.

All these are skills which can be developed, but only if you wish to do so. Some people may switch off their emotional antennae to avoid being swamped by the feelings of others.

2. Developing Others: means acting on their needs and concerns, and helping them to develop to their full potential. People with skills in this area usually:

  • Reward and praise people for their strengths and accomplishments, and provide constructive feedback designed to focus on how to improve. See our page on Giving and Receiving Feedback for more.
  • Provide mentoring and coaching to help others to develop to their full potential. See our pages on Mentoring and Coaching Skills for more.
  • Provide stretching assignments that will help their teams to develop. See our page on Delegation Skills.

3. Having a Service Orientation: Primarily aimed at work situations, having a service orientation means putting the needs of customers first and looking for ways to improve their satisfaction and loyalty.

People who have this approach will ‘go the extra mile’ for customers. They will genuinely understand customers’ needs, and go out of their way to help meet them.

In this way, they can become a ‘trusted advisor’ to customers, developing a long-term relationship between customer and organisation. This can happen in any industry, and any situation.

4. Leveraging diversity: means being able to create and develop opportunities through different kinds of people, recognising and celebrating that we all bring something different to the table.

Leveraging diversity does not mean that you treat everyone in exactly the same way, but that you tailor the way you interact with others to fit with their needs and feelings.

5. Political Awareness: Many people view ‘political’ skills as manipulative, but in its best sense, ‘political’ means sensing and responding to a group’s emotional undercurrents and power relationships.

Political awareness can help individuals to navigate organisational relationships effectively, allowing them to achieve where others may previously have failed

Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion

There is an important distinction between empathy, sympathy and compassion.

Both compassion and sympathy are about feeling for someone: seeing their distress and realising that they are suffering. Compassion has taken on an element of action that is lacking in sympathy, but the root of the words is the same.

Empathy, by contrast, is about experiencing those feelings for yourself, as if you were that person, through the power of imagination.

Three Types of Empathy

Psychologists have identified three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy and compassionate empathy.

  • Cognitive empathy is understanding someone’s thoughts and emotions, in a very rational, rather than emotional sense.
  • Emotional empathy is also known as emotional contagion, and is ‘catching’ someone else’s feelings, so that you literally feel them too.
  • Compassionate empathy is understanding someone’s feelings, and taking appropriate action to help.


How Do We Empathize?

Experts in the field of social neuroscience have developed two theories in an attempt to gain a better understanding of empathy. The first, Simulation Theory, “proposes that empathy is possible because when we see another person experiencing an emotion, we ‘simulate’ or represent that same emotion in ourselves so we can know first-hand what it feels like,” according to Psychology Today.

There is a biological component to this theory as well. Scientists have discovered preliminary evidence of “mirror neurons” that fire when humans observe and experience emotion. There are also “parts of the brain in the medial prefrontal cortex (responsible for higher-level kinds of thought) that show overlap of activation for both self-focused and other-focused thoughts and judgments,” the same article explains.

Some experts believe the other scientific explanation of empathy is in complete opposition to Simulation Theory. It’s Theory of Mind, the ability to “understand what another person is thinking and feeling based on rules for how one should think or feel,” Psychology Today says. This theory suggests that humans can use cognitive thought processes to explain the mental state of others. By developing theories about human behaviour, individuals can predict or explain others’ actions, according to this theory.

While there is no clear consensus, it’s likely that empathy involves multiple processes that incorporate both automatic, emotional responses and learned conceptual reasoning. Depending on context and situation, one or both empathetic responses may be triggered.

Cultivating Empathy: Empathy seems to arise over time as part of human development, and it also has roots in evolution. In fact, “Elementary forms of empathy have been observed in our primate relatives, in dogs, and even in rats,” the Greater Good Science Centre says. From a developmental perspective, humans begin exhibiting signs of empathy in social interactions during the second and third years of life. 

This suggests we have a natural predisposition to developing empathy. However, social and cultural factors strongly influence where, how, and to whom it is expressed. Empathy is something we develop over time and in relationship to our social environment, finally becoming “such a complex response that it is hard to recognize its origin in simpler responses, such as body mimicry and emotional contagion,” the same source says.

Psychology and Empathy: In the field of psychology, empathy is a central concept. From a mental health perspective, those who have high levels of empathy are more likely to function well in society, reporting “larger social circles and more satisfying relationships,” according to Good Therapy, an online association of mental health professionals. Empathy is vital in building successful interpersonal relationships of all types, in the family unit, workplace, and beyond. Lack of empathy, therefore, is one indication of conditions like antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. In addition, for mental health professionals such as therapists, having empathy for clients is an important part of successful treatment. 

Empathy plays a crucial role in human, social, and psychological interaction during all stages of life. Consequently, the study of empathy is an ongoing area of major interest for psychologists and neuroscientists in many fields, with new research appearing regularly. 

 

How to Develop Empathy at Work

1.Give Your Full Attention: Listen carefully to what someone is trying to tell you. Use your ears, eyes and “gut instincts” to understand the entire message that they’re communicating.

Start with listening out for the key words and phrases that they use, particularly if they use them repeatedly. Then think about how as well as what they’re saying. What’s their tone or body language  telling you? Are they angry, ashamed or scared, for example?

Take this a stage further by listening empathically . Avoid asking direct questions, arguing with what is being said, or disputing facts at this stage. And be flexible – prepare for the conversation to change direction as the other person’s thoughts and feelings also change.

 

2.Consider Other People’s Perspective: You’re likely familiar with the saying, “Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” Examine your own attitude, and keep an open mind. Placing too much emphasis on your own assumptions and beliefs doesn’t leave much space for empathy!

Once you “see” why others believe what they believe, you can acknowledge it. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with it, but this is not the time for a debate. Instead, be sure to show respect and to keep listening.

When in doubt, invite the person to describe their position some more, and ask how they think they might resolve the issue. Asking the right questions  is probably the simplest and most direct way to understand the other person.

3.Take Action: There’s no one “right way” to demonstrate your compassionate empathy. It will depend on the situation, the individual, and their dominant emotion at the time. Remember, empathy is not about what you want, but what the other person wants and needs, so any action you take or suggest must benefit them.

And remember that empathy is not just for crises! Seeing the world from a variety of perspectives is a great talent – and it’s one that you can use all of the time, in any situation. And random acts of kindness brighten anyone’s day.

 

EMPATHY, TOLERANCE AND COMPASSION TOWARDS WEAKER SECTION

Compassion is understanding or empathy for the suffering of others. Tolerance is respect, acceptance, and appreciation for those whose opinions, practices, race religion, nationality, etc. are different from one’s own. These qualities are very important for an individual living in a society.

India is a multicultural society with high numbers of vulnerable, Disadvantaged, and weaker sections. So efficient delivery of services and addressing their concerns are very important. India with its diverse cultures which traditionally evolved with the modern 21st century makes it unique in its existence. Tolerance and compassion have always played a major role throughout the transition of time for the unity of the nation in diversity. 

Weaker sections like SCs/STs and rural/urban poor are unaware of public policies, subsidies, and public utilities. Weaker sections are marginalized, deprived of justice, and illiterate. They have very low bargaining power and ability to assert their demands so helping them, being compassionate towards them, and supporting them can help them a lot.

The quality of being a compassionate persons is:

  • To understand the needs and the expectations of people.
  • Understanding the needs of marginalized and vulnerable sections of people living in a society.
  • To Undertake a faster approach and measures to address the issues of society.
  • To have an Unbiased approach to the distribution of government facilities.
  • To Make oneself accessible to all citizens and seeking for their feedback to improve better.
  • Respecting affirmative action toward the disadvantaged and implementing them with a positive attitude.

The quality of being a tolerant person is:

  • Freedom from Bigotry, respecting each other choices.
  • It helps in developing qualities like respect towards others, knowledge, openness, and communication between diverse sections of society.
  • Upholding natural rights which are Human rights, Democracy, Multiculturalism, Pluralism etc.
  • Protecting the constitutional principles of Fundamental Rights which forms the basic structure of the constitution.
  • Preventing tendency of intimidation, coercion, oppression, etc.

Poor and marginalized sections of the society that have faced negligence and left empty-handed for such a long duration of time have become afflicted that there is no one to listen to them and solve their issues. They have been dealt with harshness many times, and this behavior has inculcated in them a sense of inferiority and less importance they have stated attributing to themselves.

In a nation empowered and educated section perform better job and pay taxes to run a nation’s economy. This revenue are spent to alleviate poverty by enabling weaker section to become part of mainstream economy. This needs compassion to spend revenue on them and tolerance to provide them all chances for becoming self-sustaining. Hence, we must have tolerance and compassion toward them, as they are not exposed to newer technology, awareness of their own rights, nation’s outlook, programmes for themselves and nation’s expectation from them.

In egalitarian society, tolerance and compassion are two important qualities to be practiced by
every individual and Hence tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections are
one of the basic qualities any individual should poses.

Equitable distribution of resources and welfare-oriented development should be among the primary goals of democratic government. To develop a country, not just the government but every individual in a society should have qualities like compassion, tolerance, and empathy towards the weaker section of the society.

Empathy vs. Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone disproportionately and unfairly. Health care workers face the harsh realities of the virus head-on. Teachers have had to adapt their years of experience gained from conventional teaching to suit online classes. Millions face the harsh reality of poverty and hunger everyday. Millions have lost their hard-earned jobs. Businesses have been forced to shut down. Hate crimes against groups of society that are baselessly and cruelly accused of spreading the virus have drastically increased. Mental health issues have risen and fueled by isolation, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. More than 150 million people have gone and continue to battle with this invincible enemy. More than 3 million people have lost their lives because of this virus. Families have lost their loved ones and the world has lost countless dreamers. This virus cossets no one.  

Early notions such as the pandemic would be ephemeral and infections were punitive for those who flouted the necessary precautions and rules have diminished during the ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In my opinion, this is due to a rise in empathy amongst the people of India. Simply put, empathy is the ability of a living being to understand and share the feelings of another living being. Colloquially, it is referred to as “putting oneself in someone else’s shoes” 

The Government of India has had no shortage of opportunities to show empathy and alleviate the suffering of Indians. The Government has neglected its duty to serve the country and as Arundhati Roy put it, has committed a crime against humanity. The government has failed on many fronts. I would like to highlight a few that showcase an egregious lack of empathy. 

Firstly, the poorly planned nationwide lockdown, which was imposed with a mere 4 hours of notice, left thousands of migrant workers helpless, stranded, and vulnerable. With no help from the government, these migrant workers bravely decided to walk back to their villages. This lockdown was stained by police brutality and hate crimes against people that just wanted to survive. The lack of condemnation and apology by the government showcases a lack of empathy. 

Secondly, in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of Indians, the government launched the risibly named PM CARES (Citizens Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) fund and its primary objective was “to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide relief to the affected”. The fact that a government that has never shied away from repeatedly putting their plans such as “Make in India”, “Swachh Bharat”, “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”, etc on the highest possible pedestal has created such an opaque and inaccessible fund shows a lack of empathy. 

Thirdly, the government’s actions before the second wave hit can be described as complacent, incompetent, and overconfident. On the 21st of February 2021, a resolution was passed in the BJP National Office Bearers meeting that “unequivocally hails its leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against Covid”. Additionally, the government decided to export vaccines to other countries without ensuring adequate supply was available for Indian citizens. This not only leaves Indian citizens in danger but also betrays all the countries that depended on “the pharmacy of the world” as vaccine exports were abruptly stopped. None of this would’ve happened if the government showed empathy towards the people of India and established appropriate contingent plans.

Fourthly, while the second wave virulently spread and claimed thousands of lives, the government showed no empathy. While a strong case can be made to prohibit sitting union ministers from campaigning in elections that they are not contesting during a crisis, a complete stop to the democratic process would have been detrimental. The occurrence of huge rallies during a pandemic is untenable and all politicians are guilty of this. The myopic and unsympathetic nature of the government is accentuated by the needless comments that they have made throughout the pandemic.  

Finally, the iniquitous lack of cooperation between the centre and states to fight this pandemic showcases a pathetic lack of empathy. The failure to come up with a comprehensive and transparent plan for the distribution and supply of oxygen and vaccines has caused unimaginable suffering to the people of India. Any attempt by the government to set aside pride and partisanship, as leaders have done before when facing a crisis, and listen to good advice and imploration would be a sign of empathy. No such attempt has been made. Their lack of action and belated action have had fatal effects, but the government has not shown a sign of remorse or empathy.    

But all is not lost. There have been instances in which the government has shown empathy. Most states have decided to offer a Covid-19 vaccine for free for different age groups. The central government also has plans to allow final-year MBBS students to join Covid duty before completing the NEET exam. This will drastically reduce the strain faced by health care workers taking care of Covid patients. The government of Karnataka also announced that it would form a team of 15,000 civil defence volunteers in Bengaluru for tracking and tracing Covid-19 patients. This is a significantly more empathetic and humane approach to managing the crisis than the sadistic and vicious approach used last year that made victims of Covid-19 feel like criminals.

However, none of these actions are as consequential and empathetic as the profound empathy amongst the ordinary people of India. Early displays of empathy were seen when people started taking care of stray animals during the lockdown. Furthermore, countless rations and donations were given to the stranded migrant workers to help them cope with the dire situation they faced. From providing meals, oxygen, assistance to the elderly and handling cremations, Gurudwaras around the country have been the perfect embodiment of empathy. Conspicuously, the empathy and equanimity shown by the youth of India has truly been remarkable. With the help of social media, the relentless youth are constantly doing their part by helping those in need. 

Empathy also provides a strong basis for our everyday fight against Covid-19. Precautions like wearing a mask, staying indoors as much as possible, social distancing when outside, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible would not be flouted if people were more empathetic. For those of us who have not been directly affected by the virus yet, empathy goes a long way in helping and caring about those who have. 

Perhaps, the most optimistic and quixotic change that we can hope for during this precarious and seemingly inexorable situation is the crippling of traditional barriers that have separated us before. If we, as ordinary citizens of India, continue to disregard gender, caste, religion, wealth, age, ethnicity, language, political ideology, and other barriers when helping those affected by this pandemic, we could truly be united in this fight against the invisible enemy. Together, we shall overcome.  

SYMPATHY VS EMPATHY

What is sympathy?


Empathy is the key because you acknowledge the person’s feelings or circumstances. Empathy is often conveyed in negative contexts to express sorrow and pity, for example, when someone has passed away.

Compassion is about saying, “I feel it. I understand and appreciate how you feel. ”It is about looking at and accepting what a person is going through. Empathy can also be “compassionate” for a person. He is sensitive to “feeling with” instead of deeply sympathetic, so there is a natural encounter from this situation.

What is empathy?


Compassion and empathy are a broad, profound way of reacting emotionally to a person’s situation. Compassion involves tender regard for someone or something else. The big difference between empathy and empathy is that empathy is when you think you are in someone else’s shoes, and empathy is sad about the loss of someone. While empathy, you experience a fraction of their feelings and emotions after seeing things through their perspective. Empathy listens attentively, asks questions and comes up with solutions.

Is empathy better than compassion?


Whether a person feels compassion or empathy for a situation depends on the person, his personality, his background and his own experience. As you go through the same or struggles with the same situation, the potential for empathy for people experiencing similar experiences is much higher.

Compassion is often expressed in negative feelings or remorse for another person. Empathy is deeper and deeper than empathy. It’s about accepting one’s feelings and thinking honestly and trying to feel what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. You empathize with the other person, share the emotional burden with the person affected, come up with solutions and help him or her. For example, empathy may suggest that a person who has lost a loved one in death is moved to show compassion. Empathy will deepen – listen to the person, share their grief and spend time with them to help them cope. Empathy does something about it instead of just feeling it.

Therefore, empathy can be viewed as better than sympathy. Most people tend to choose when others feel sorry for them rather than just feel sorry for them, but both factors are important to have. Both are acceptable responses depending on the situation. Empathy is very hard to do. It comes naturally to some people, but it is usually a matter of empathy.

What if someone lacks empathy and compassion?


It may be that someone lacks empathy and compassion. This may be due to traumatic problems or mental disorders. Lack of empathy and empathy can lead to problems in personal and professional life. Such people find it difficult to maintain a relationship. People who lack empathy and compassion may have a higher chance of being harmed spiritually or physically or committing crimes.

Studies have shown that empathy and empathy are factors that can be improved. There are steps that people can take to recognize their prejudices and shortcomings and to see things from a different perspective. Some of these steps include active listening, talking to people, and curiosity. Talking to people from different walks of life, different cultures, upbringing, etc. It can help develop empathy and empathy. A person can also seek help from family, friends, counselors or psychologists to help them understand and see things clearly. Some people can become more empathetic and empathetic after experiencing certain experiences in their lives.

Empathy vs Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone disproportionately and unfairly. Health care workers face the harsh realities of the virus head-on. Teachers have had to adapt their years of experience gained from conventional teaching to suit online classes. Millions face the harsh reality of poverty and hunger everyday. Millions have lost their hard-earned jobs. Businesses have been forced to shut down. Hate crimes against groups of society that are baselessly and cruelly accused of spreading the virus have drastically increased. Mental health issues have risen and fueled by isolation, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. More than 150 million people have gone and continue to battle with this invincible enemy. More than 3 million people have lost their lives because of this virus. Families have lost their loved ones and the world has lost countless dreamers. This virus cossets no one.  

Early notions such as the pandemic would be ephemeral and infections were punitive for those who flouted the necessary precautions and rules have diminished during the ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In my opinion, this is due to a rise in empathy amongst the people of India. Simply put, empathy is the ability of a living being to understand and share the feelings of another living being. Colloquially, it is referred to as “putting oneself in someone else’s shoes” 

The Government of India has had no shortage of opportunities to show empathy and alleviate the suffering of Indians. The Government has neglected its duty to serve the country and as Arundhati Roy put it, has committed a crime against humanity. The government has failed on many fronts. I would like to highlight a few that showcase an egregious lack of empathy. 

Firstly, the poorly planned nationwide lockdown, which was imposed with a mere 4 hours of notice, left thousands of migrant workers helpless, stranded, and vulnerable. With no help from the government, these migrant workers bravely decided to walk back to their villages. This lockdown was stained by police brutality and hate crimes against people that just wanted to survive. The lack of condemnation and apology by the government showcases a lack of empathy. 

Secondly, in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of Indians, the government launched the risibly named PM CARES (Citizens Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) fund and its primary objective was “to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide relief to the affected”. The fact that a government that has never shied away from repeatedly putting their plans such as “Make in India”, “Swachh Bharat”, “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”, etc on the highest possible pedestal has created such an opaque and inaccessible fund shows a lack of empathy. 

Thirdly, the government’s actions before the second wave hit can be described as complacent, incompetent, and overconfident. On the 21st of February 2021, a resolution was passed in the BJP National Office Bearers meeting that “unequivocally hails its leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against Covid”. Additionally, the government decided to export vaccines to other countries without ensuring adequate supply was available for Indian citizens. This not only leaves Indian citizens in danger but also betrays all the countries that depended on “the pharmacy of the world” as vaccine exports were abruptly stopped. None of this would’ve happened if the government showed empathy towards the people of India and established appropriate contingent plans.

Fourthly, while the second wave virulently spread and claimed thousands of lives, the government showed no empathy. While a strong case can be made to prohibit sitting union ministers from campaigning in elections that they are not contesting during a crisis, a complete stop to the democratic process would have been detrimental. The occurrence of huge rallies during a pandemic is untenable and all politicians are guilty of this. The myopic and unsympathetic nature of the government is accentuated by the needless comments that they have made throughout the pandemic.  

Finally, the iniquitous lack of co-operation between the centre and states to fight this pandemic showcases a pathetic lack of empathy. The failure to come up with a comprehensive and transparent plan for the distribution and supply of oxygen and vaccines has caused unimaginable suffering to the people of India. Any attempt by the government to set aside pride and partisanship, as leaders have done before when facing a crisis, and listen to good advice and imploration would be a sign of empathy. No such attempt has been made. Their lack of action and belated action have had fatal effects, but the government has not shown a sign of remorse or empathy.    

But all is not lost. There have been instances in which the government has shown empathy. Most states have decided to offer a Covid-19 vaccine for free for different age groups. The central government also has plans to allow final-year MBBS students to join Covid duty before completing the NEET exam. This will drastically reduce the strain faced by health care workers taking care of Covid patients. The government of Karnataka also announced that it would form a team of 15,000 civil defence volunteers in Bengaluru for tracking and tracing Covid-19 patients. This is a significantly more empathetic and humane approach to managing the crisis than the sadistic and vicious approach used last year that made victims of Covid-19 feel like criminals.

However, none of these actions are as consequential and empathetic as the profound empathy amongst the ordinary people of India. Early displays of empathy were seen when people started taking care of stray animals during the lockdown. Furthermore, countless rations and donations were given to the stranded migrant workers to help them cope with the dire situation they faced. From providing meals, oxygen, assistance to the elderly and handling cremations, Gurudwaras around the country have been the perfect embodiment of empathy. Conspicuously, the empathy and equanimity shown by the youth of India has truly been remarkable. With the help of social media, the relentless youth are constantly doing their part by helping those in need. 

Empathy also provides a strong basis for our everyday fight against Covid-19. Precautions like wearing a mask, staying indoors as much as possible, social distancing when outside, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible would not be flouted if people were more empathetic. For those of us who have not been directly affected by the virus yet, empathy goes a long way in helping and caring about those who have. 

Perhaps, the most optimistic and quixotic change that we can hope for during this precarious and seemingly inexorable situation is the crippling of traditional barriers that have separated us before. If we, as ordinary citizens of India, continue to disregard gender, caste, religion, wealth, age, ethnicity, language, political ideology, and other barriers when helping those affected by this pandemic, we could truly be united in this fight against the invisible enemy. Together, we shall overcome.  

The need of Empathy in the Present Times

“The deep simple is far more essential than the shallow complex”
-Fred Rogers
(American T.V. personality)


In present times, the whole world is facing a tough time after the spread of Corona Virus and other natural disasters like floods, lightening, forest fires and many more. So human beings are supposed to stand by the side of each other. Days like these, basically when an epidemic is there, are so difficult to handle for the patients as well their family members.


Human being is a social animal with feelings of empathy, compassion and mercy in his heart.


According to Wikipedia, Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position.


The ones who are suffering from the Corona virus are the worst hit. They are supposed to stay away from their family members. Other people also need to stay away from the infected ones, so that they won’t get affected. As consequence of this, those who are even recovered they are ignored by people and are left all alone.


This hampers their mental health to such an extent that they become sad and depressed. Even if there are lesser chances of spread of virus from them people ignore them and left them aside. Human beings must realize that the ones who are suffering or have undergone the disease are human beings too. They have feelings and sentiments like every other normal person.


Imagine the situation, living all alone isolated in the hospital ward then coming back home and again living in isolation for 14-21 days and even after that still being ignored by people around. It’s so disheartening and depressing too. Human beings are social animals. They have a habit of interacting and talking to each other, sharing experiences but epidemic like these isolate and separate everyone from each other.


Particularly in this time of Corona, individuals are supposed to maintain social distancing but still individuals all can connect with each other through the medium of social media and even physical distancing too with a blend of several precautions to break the chain of the virus. All human beings need love, attention, care and sympathy. One wants others to understand their pains and problems from their point of view and their perspective.


From the past too, there are many such examples of people who have served humanity to a very great extent. Mother Teresa is one such figure who is still known as an epitome of mercy, kindness and empathy.


Empathy is like an extreme sport which is far more exciting from sky diving or surfing or skiing. Empathy can transform the social and political landscapes too.


Epidemics bring out the best and the worst both in human beings. At its worst, witnessing people speaking out as fear, frustration, uncertainty and massive disruptions to the daily routines are so common .With these, victim blaming, mob lynching, intolerance, hostility and at its worst violence stoked by racism and xenophobic beliefs are so common in a country like India.


In the times of an epidemic one must realize their responsibility of making others feel good and comfortable and at the same time focusing upon one’s own self about their mental health too. It’s like one must try to understand each other’s feelings, mood swings and behavior.


Feelings like Empathy and Compassion cannot be developed overnight. One has to try everyday for being a little softer, accessible, and friendlier and calm too at the same time. Human beings have different feelings, different moods so it’s not like that being so nice and every time but still one must try not to get rude to others. One must avoid saying negative things to their loved ones too.


If one can’t motivate or uplift someone, they should even not make others feel low and sad. Showing empathy and engaging in helpful actions, whether it’s donating to a charity or writing a supportive note to a friend, can increase one’s own feelings of social connectedness. Many people have lost their jobs and are out of work, others have no choice but to continue working. So one must try to understand their feelings, try to motivate them and make them feel good about themselves and reminding them of the beautiful times spent together.


Hence, by showing the feelings of love, compassion, oneness, kindness and empathy human beings can gracefully come out from the sad and frightening times of an epidemic. People should try to be kind, humble and polite to the elderly people too by spending time with them, talking to them. For the kids, different interactive games and activities should be organized by parents so that children become more expressive and more comfortable with their parents along with learning different life skills.

Days like pandemic are meant for taking precautions to its fullest and developing inter-personnel skills and developing healthy relationships with nature and people around and loved ones sitting in different parts of the world.

Article by – Shishir Tripathi

Intern at Hariyali foundation in collaboration with Educational News

‘Leadership’ in the times of epidemic

Let’s take up any project in an organization, especially Multinational Corporations, and try to understand the hierarchy levels in a team. Usually at the top, there is the delivery manager followed by project manager and then there is the team lead with all the assistant team members at the base of the hierarchy. On any normal day, the delivery manager is the one who is answerable to the client during the time of project going live or at the times of crisis. The project manager is answerable to the clients on a weekly basis with the team lead reporting to the project manager with all the milestones and progress reports. So to sum up, the work was usually into two fonts, managers who manages the entire group and is answerable to the client and the team lead who lead the team and reports to the managers. So this traditional way of doing business was going on until the pandemic hit the business.

For the past four months, we are working from home. We have forgotten what the boundary exactly looks like between office and home, with a little concern for privacy and social life. We are always trying to do ‘more’ and in a ‘better’ way and there are times, when we feel helpless, if and when we do not get the same amount of cooperation and assistance from our team lead or managers. Numerous articles are being published everywhere on how to improve effective communication in remote work but there is always a bit of communication gap, especially when we are unable to apprehend the non-verbal cues. It is at this time, when the managers should step down from being a manager to being a leader.

A leader is someone who acts a ring-bearer to a team member. He does not just say what to do, rather he works with him, side by side, to sail through the problem. Whenever a team member expresses a concern or some problem, instead of just providing a solution, he listens to it and deals with the situation with empathy. In fact, a team leader gives a solution by being a part of the solution. Having done a part time internship in such a culture, I have observed that the managers, even in remote scenario, tend to be stoic and still behaves in a very formal way. It is high time that the managers step down into the shoes of the leaders and lead the team through such a mind-wrecking situation, instead of just managing it.

As per my observation, a few ways by which the managers can put on a leadership cap are:

  1. A team huddle in the morning, discussing about the team progress and also providing a platform open for suggestions.
  2. Listen to pertinent problems of team members and deal with empathy, thus going over the notion of manager.
  3. Arrange for coffee break, once every half-month, and the discussions should be on the recent advancements and not just on news.
  4. Managers should be bit more personal rather than being formal.

Remote work calls for different measures and from the organizational perspective, managers putting on leadership cap will go a long way in building a sustainable and resilient organizational culture. If we take this as a parameter and compute the cost-benefit analysis, this approach will definitely improve the productivity and thus will create multi-fold productivity.

Be a leader.

Source: Self

We Need Empathy not Apathy

“Apathy. What’s hard to understand? They don’t care. Not until it affects them.”

Donna Lynn Hope

For the first few months as an amateur liberal feminist, I responded to offensive comments and sly remarks with, “Would you still feel the same way if it was someone you knew?”

I would gleam with pride as I see them contemplate for a second.

Now, months later I realize the problem in that. Why should something affect us or someone we know and love, to realize the adverse effects on any social, political, economic, ecological, psychological at stake? Why can’t we feel the same pain and understand a stranger? Why do we need it to get personal?

It sounds spiteful to say that we lack compassion, but it’s true.

Here are a few instances where I was put on the spot with pointless questions and remarks that the world will be a better place without. I live in a country, where my religion is the principal religion, where my voice matter, while my peers’ don’t. I choose to use my voice to scream louder than ever to bring about a change in every individual. As a result, I am questioned for choosing to use my privileged voice to advocate for equality, mental health, LGBTQ rights, and against systematic racism, corruption and just anything wrong.

  • None of my family members and close friends are Muslims. Every time I advocate for equality for Muslims, and their basic human rights. I am countered with “Do you have a Muslim boyfriend or something?” Why should I have a Muslim boyfriend, or a friend or even a relative? Why can’t I just fight for someone without having any personal agenda?
  • Another common question I always am asked is, “If you’re so openly advocating for Muslim rights, then why don’t you befriend any Muslims?” It’s simple, I am not an institution, nor do I follow a religion quota. I don’t make friends based on their religion or culture. I will not go and make a Muslim friend just to justify my fight.
  • When I advocate for LGBTQ rights, people question my sexuality. They think I’d be offended. I am offended, not by their question but by their audacity to still think being anything but heterosexual is a joke.
  • When I stand for Black Lives Matter, I am asked if I am not concerned about Dalits, Muslims and every other marginalized community in India. I ask, didn’t you ridicule me for that already?

Many more occurrences come to mind, but my point is made.

We lack empathy. We refuse to understand another without getting something in return. We can’t be so cruel to build a business on emotions and humanity, right?

In actuality, we have a huge fucking empire built on humanity, where they sell corruption and apathy. Where people are exploited and made political prisoners. Where people are killed ruthlessly with word and actions, and further with batons and nails.

We are more interested in who said and did what, and less about the sufferings of the person next door.

Why can’t we each work on ourselves to bring about a revolutionary change. Where we support one another and make this world a better, safer and happier place.

Are Parents able to do Work From Home?

Consider a 35 year old woman staying with her husband, 37 and her two children – aged 3 and 6 in Bangalore. She works as Project Manager in a top multinational corporation. Her husband is also working as a Project Manager, though of another firm. One of their child, aged 3, is starting with his kindergarten and demands for the utmost attention of his parents. And the other, aged 6, is starting her primary school. She has seen her parents working for most of the times and hence she is bit aware of managing herself.

Things were just going on as expected, until on 24th March, our Prime Minister called for a nation-wide lockdown. And then things just changed.

Should Work-from-Home Parents Hire Help with Child Care? | FlexJobs

Let me now give you a tour of how this woman spends her day. She wakes up to her alarm at 5:30 in the morning. Starting her day with 15 minutes meditation and yoga, she completely immerse herself in doing the household chores. Since the lockdown she has cancelled the maid, cook and nanny services. After her domestic work, she gets ready for the morning meeting with her team members and thus kick starts her 9 to 5 or rather whole day of work. But then wait, she has two children who also needs to get ready for their school. After attending a couple of meetings, she gets up, prepares her children, set up the desktops and login to their school webinar sessions. This continues till the work-chain is intervened by the lunch time. During the lunch hours, she needs to feed her younger one and at the same time, caters to the needs of her elder one. After that, they both go off to sleep and she resumes her work. Some days this workflow gets interrupted by unprecedented events such as poor internet connection, household emergencies and so on and so forth. Apparently as she described, the best time for her to work is about 2 hours in the afternoon and about 2-3 hours at night, when her children go to their beds.

Now this is just one instance. Apparently, this is what most parents are facing while they are working from home. Since the lockdown, they are not just a mom and an employee. Being a maid, a nanny, a mom, a cook, an advisor, a nurse, a repair-woman and a mediator, her life is not just only about being an employee. She is trying to manage everything, trying to subdue all the resistance and challenging all the obstacles on her path. While for others, Work From Home might be a boon or a blessing in disguise but for the parents, especially for a mother, it is a challenge, an everyday obstacle or rather, a bane. Managing her husband, her children, the household as well as her work has never been easy. For her, especially now, there is no distinct boundary between home and work. But the hardest fact of all is that, she was not prepared for this life-changing instrument.

Working from home and juggling family? Tips for WFH parents, from ...

It is of utmost importance that the employers should take this scenario into consideration and by partnering up with Human Resource Team, they should implement policies which can elevate the motivation level of mothers. A few suggestions from my end would be to give them few extra hours each day, especially during the afternoon to attend to her children. To allow them to complete their work by 6 in the evening, so that they can spend the night-time with their children. Parents should be allowed to attend the business meetings with their children and they should not be embarrassed if something comes up in between work which needs their utmost attention. Parents are having a very hard time, juggling in between work and home and employers should be empathetic while dealing with their situations.

Employers should be all big ears while listening to the issues of the parents. They should have high emotional intelligence and should be empathetic enough to not judge them, but to provide them with empathetic solutions. If a parent says that today she will not be able to work for the entire team because her child is facing some issues, the employer should give her the benefit of doubt, trust her and cooperate with her. It is very important for the employer to keep an open mind and be receptive to the problems. They should understand it takes a lot of courage, especially for the female employees to express their problem, fearing that she will be seen as weak and might be displaced. At this moment, the employer should not despise her, but to communicate with her and provide her with the necessary arrangements.

One things is very important which should always be kept in mind – Parents, especially mothers, can sacrifice for their children and hence the employers must give the required amount of importance to them. Especially the importance that the hard-working parents deserve.

Source: https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-for-working-from-home-parents