Empathy = Antithesis To Weakness
When we think of empathy we think of weakness statistically. Empathy is the opposite of weak; especially Cognitive Empathy.
All genuine empathy involves substantial cognitive activity, not least understanding someone else’s perspective—“perspective-taking.”
Some scholars further parse this angle into:
“the ability to imagine the other’s experiences” (cognitive)
and
“the ability to directly perceive the other’s experiences” (perceptive)
Cognitive empathy is discerning the other person’s experiences and interpretations from their vantage point, denying your own subjectivity interference.
Using Cognitive Empathy:
How Do We Test Whether It's Empathy Or Projections?
When I know that I'm ready to critique a theological perspective is when I can:
- I can properly articulate the opponents theological perspective; to such a manner he responds
“Yes this is exactly what I believe.”
If there are any need of clarification, caveats or modification then my view must be reevaluated.
Integrsting cognitive empathy involves a humble (and difficult) listening skill: withholding any judgment on the other person’s feelings, words, interpretation, and perspective until I understand accurately and robustly.
THE OUTER JUDGE MUST BE TAMED IN ORDER TO EMPATHIZE AT ALL.
Don't twist my words now:
Christians must resist extreme relativism in our culture, but what I am saying in regards to holding judgment is to do so only for a brief time.
Many can easily misperceive the notion of “non-judgmental” in cognitive empathy.
Accordint to the work: being “non-judgmental” often involves agreeing with or validating whatever a person feels & says, no matter what; for the sake of “love” or “tolerance.”
I've heard it said,
“If you don’t validate myself-understanding, you clearly don’t love me.” (Though that’s not what “love” means, even though it’s popular.)
offers a helpful diagnosis and stiff-arm against this unholy American Zeitgeist.
Extreme relativism counsels hurting people “to resent all resistance to their feelings,” as if such resistance were “a direct assault on their dignity and an affront to the depth of their suffering.”
Joe Rigney
Having “cognitive empathy” for a person in no way objectively validates their perspective; but rather it objectively views their subjective perspective
Arrogance repels others; empathic understanding typically opens doors.
Cognitive empathy seeks to deeply understand someone from his or her vantage point, which also means that later “critical observations” will be more appropriate, nuanced, trusted, and thus easier to accept.
