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Empathy:
The Ultimate Superpower!
Bill Dewey
Learning Professional
Chances are, you have been asked a version of
this question: “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” You may have responded with answers like “fly”, “climb the sides of buildings”, “read people’s minds”, “possess superhuman strength” (i.e., be Superman, Superwoman, Batman, Catwoman, Spiderman, etc.). Clearly, having those superhuman skills and abilities, if used correctly, would provide tremendous value and impact in the real world. But let’s get real. Wouldn’t it be great if when asked, “What is your superpower?”, people responded, “Empathy!”?
How incredibly amazing would it be to possess the ability to feel and know what it is like to walk in another person’s shoes? Some of you may be thinking, “That’s crazy. No matter what you say, it is impossible to know or understand what someone else is feeling.” Others may be thinking, “Wow, if
I had only taken the time to listen, understand, or connect on a deeper level, I may have helped save a life, a job, or a relationship.”
So, here is your opportunity to be a superhero and use your superpower – Empathy! – to help change the world! The best part is that being empathetic does not cost anyone anything other than a few minutes of their time. Seems like a small price to pay for such a large return on the investment. By the way, empathy CAN be developed, so whether you think you can (be empathetic) or think you
can’t, you are probably right!
We All Bleed Red By Bill Dewey
White, black, yellow, brown
So much unrest across our towns
Civil protests take a stand
To stop the madness across this land With ruined lives beyond repair
Still more to come of this despair?
So stand together, no fear, no hate And start to heal, it is not too late
We rise as one for all to see
Empathy leads our legacy
Among mankind’s greatest sins
The failure to see beyond one’s skin No matter how you think you are bred Beneath the skin, we All Bleed Red
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