Don't Touch my Empathy Box!: Chris' Adventure in Empathy. What makes us human? I just recently read a very goodly written book by the title: "Do Androids Dream of Electric sheep". It talked about as a human, being empathic toward other living beings and being caught up in other junk that I don't need to get in to here. What I was trying to get to was the point of empathy, the largely known version anyways, of knowing what another is feeling emotionally and being able to step into their shoes. But, the pagan (I used pagan to describe anything you are thinking of, quit looking at me like that) definition is of actually feeling another’s emotions. This is where I get tricky, I found out I was able to understand what a person was thinking through their emotions and for 90% of the time I am able to, as I have coined "step into their heart". Through my previously intrepid years I was able to learn a variety of things about empathy, pertaining to mostly, myself. I was able to learn that empathy is what that sinking feeling is when you talk to someone that is sad, it is also that stupid laugh you encounter when with friends. Empathy as a pagan is helping others by understanding completely without words. I used to brag I could pick out anyone from a room, and understand how they were feeling. My practice of empathy has been heightened through the internet. I spent(d) a lot of time talking to friends and strangers online, deciphering how they feel is needed by how I operate to deal/understand people completely. I am person who needs to know everything, and I guess that's how a few of my talents extended so far. It goes to show you, if you want something bad enough you'll get it sooner or (usually later, maybe I should write about patience in a later article...). I learned how to hone my skills as well with friends, we started talking I began telling them how they felt. Empathy, personally speaking is what I used to communicate better with my friends and sometimes complete strangers. It has given me an edge with friendship and other relationships that sometimes need sensitivity. Helping friends get through tough situations is easier with empathy and can be a key towards working in divination. She is not without her drawbacks though, I have been hurt severely from others and I can't deal with some situations. Arguments are hard to deal with but easily won. When you are on your path and are confronted with an enemy, don't be afraid to use empathy to your advantage, I certainly have. I've dealt with people and entities that can emote and through this emotion you can either hurt, or give yourself a chance to run. Stepping into another’s heart is key to this, if you don't understand quit thinking about the literal meaning. When you step into someone’s heart you understand everything they think, all their emotions and what has brought them to that certain choice. You can influence this, by being a spectator you can nudge things around. Generally as a rule, if you can feel them you can work them to your advantage, that doesn't mean it's ethical to do it all the time, only when necessary. In hard situations this takes concentration, but it can be done. You are in their heart and you can influence them, the questions are: How do I influence them? Easy. You have to understand how they feel at that moment and what possible ways you can influence them to feel. How do I influence the way they feel? That is somewhat harder to explain and something one can understand better by practice. The simplest way is to become them, you have to know you can change them and know the easiest route to your success. If they are mad at you, don't try to make them happy that won't work, instead make them mad at something that isn't related to you, and idea maybe. I've become successful at creating a diversion, getting what I want or just dealing with bad situation, and no, I don't always use this to get out of things everything calls for certain actions at certain times. When you are in the person/entities heart you can always make them feel better and cheer them up. You always have the choice of harming or changing the thing you are in, don't make bad choices and always know what the hell you are doing. -Chris