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Empathy Challenge

Door to heart

Compassionate Response or Creating More Pain?

Headache Icon

Read the speaker's words first. Imagine what would be an empathic response. Look at my possible responses and see how your opinion of what is compassionate compares to my guess as to what would be compassionate. All of these responses are what people with good intentions might say. I base my guess on how it would feel to me if I were in a state where I would be saying what the speaker is saying. Empathy is more like a dance than a science. What works in one situation might not work in another. Have fun and know there is no absolute right or wrong answer.

My dog died today.

 Loving Dog

My boss gave me a bad review.

 Bad Review

You are always late.

 Pointing at watch

You never tell me you love me.

 You never tell me you love me!

I don't want to go on living.

Tired of living

My head hurts.

Tired of living

Drivers here are crazy.


 Crazy drivers Class on time

That's not the price you agreed to. (He said sheepishly.) {Sorry, ba-a-a-ad joke.}

Hagglimg over sheep

How can you expect me to trust you?

Trapeze artists

This is the worst day of my life.


Fighting couple