What Does Empathy Mean?

Empathy is a quality and a virtue. This quality enables a person to understand and feel concern for others situation or feelings. Empathy means to identify with the problems or situations of people and understand their thoughts and condition. It is an action of being sensitive to others and their feelings without them explicitly airing them. It is different from sympathy. Empathy means 'to suffer' in Greek language. It was first used in the English language during the early 20th century.

It means putting one self in another person's mould. It is being in somebody else's shoes and knows about their emotions and entering into their way of thinking. Thus this quality assists a person in recognizing, perceiving and feeling the emotions of others. People often empathize with others through their moods and behaviours. It is quality that is possessed by great people like Jesus, Gandhi and others.

Dear Readers,
8th Oct 2005 was a very sad day for people of Pakistan specially for people living up-north.
around 8:52 AM there was an earthquake  which destroyed the lives of so many besides taking the lives of more than 80,000 people.It was also the month of 'Ramazan', in which we fast from dawn to dusk.So many who died were fasting.

I lost my very dear sister and her husband.We rushed to Islamabad and five hours later were at the sight of the fallen building.There were many people crying ,praying for their loved ones.Every one had forgotten about breaking of the fast.A women with a whole lot of specially packed food boxes and water bottles came and started to distribute them among the people sitting there.No one knew her.

We were all sitting and waiting the whole night.There were some bodies and some people alive were brought out of the rubble.There were a lot of university students with bedsheets wrapped around their arms and legs were making in and out of there.The bedsheets were preventing their arms and legs from injuries by twisted iron bars protruding from the rubble.

I was taken away from the scene around morning prayer time.I could not sleep so I got up arround 8 in the morning and came back at 'MARGALA TOWERS'.Only one of the five blocks was no more.Me and my children were there the whole day.The authorities had guarded off the area and only the affected families were allowed near the building.I noticed for the last three days a women was sitting alone far off on a broken chair wearing the same yellow color dress. I thought she also has some one buried inside the building and no one is allowing her to come closer.So I sent my daughter to her and ask her why is she sitting so far away.By now the police and others  knew us by name and were very nice to the whole group .

My daughter came back with tears in her eyes and said ,"Father you go and talk to her".On my way out some times later I went to her and asked her if she had a dear one buried inside the rubble.Her answer was,"No my brother a few years ago I met a Holy man and he told me if you are in trouble or someone else is in trouble than recite this name of God on a rosary by looking at them and their problems will be solved. I live in a village about 40 kilometers from here.I cook the food for my children in the morning and come here to pray for those who are in the fallen building and you all.You are all in trouble.I am sure God will help you."

Before this I felt this was the end of my life.My sister and her husband were very dear to me.I felt strange.After two days we found the bodies buried them and came back to Lahore.I under stood the meanings of empathy .

Empathy  means slavery