The Singing Scoutmaster: Empathy

Scouts, imagine showing up to your first day at a brand new school. You don't know anyone. You don't know where anything is. Everyone else already has their friends and their routines, and you're standing there wondering if anyone will even talk to you. How would that feel?

That feeling you just imagined - that nervous, lonely, hoping-someone-notices-you feeling - that's empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else feels, even if you haven't been through the exact same thing. It's asking yourself, 'How would I feel if that were me?'

Empathy is different from sympathy. Sympathy says, 'I'm sorry that happened to you.' Empathy says, 'I can feel what that must be like for you, and I'm here.' One keeps you on the outside looking in. The other walks through the door and sits down beside the person.

In our pack and troop, empathy makes us stronger. When you see a Scout struggling with a knot and you remember how hard it was when you first learned, that's empathy. When a friend loses a pet and you sit with them even though you don't know what to say, that's empathy. You don't need to fix everything - sometimes people just need to know someone understands.

This week, before you react to someone - especially if they're being difficult or grumpy - pause and ask yourself, 'What might they be going through that I can't see?' You might be surprised how much that one question changes how you respond.