empathy: pondering why i tell stories

today, the new york times published this health/science article about how children develop prosocial behavior (defined by arizona state university professor nancy eisenberg as 'voluntary behavior intended to benefit another.')

the article's author, perri class, m.d. writes:

'The ingredients of prosocial behavior, from kindness to philanthropy, are more complex and varied. They include the ability to perceive others’ distress, the sense of self that helps sort out your own identity and feelings, the regulatory skills that prevent distress so severe it turns to aversion, and the cognitive and emotional understanding of the value of helping.'

angelina bellebuono 2007

i don't know if empathy can be taught. but i do believe empathy can be modeled. and i believe that the beginnings of empathy arise from the awareness that we, as humans, are more the same than different.

when i am gathering a story, through photography, writing, or both, one of my primary goals is to share something that will have both personal and universal merit.

as we hear and see the stories from others, perhaps something will strike a chord. resonate. seem a lot like something we've felt or seen or heard personally, even if the story is about someone else.

and perhaps, through their story, we will have the opportunity to walk a few steps in shoes other than those that we're wearing on our feet today.

based on the research in the new york times' article, it seems that children show signs of empathetic behaviors from an early age. i wonder if it also begins disappearing, bit by bit by bit, if it's not reinforced by the child's network of caregivers or friends or teachers or classmates.

somewhere in the sandbox or on the school bus or by the office watercooler, the empathy that we naturally demonstrate when young seems to dissipate. as we mature, we hide behind our differences. we make decisions on presumptions and assumptions.

to seek to understand and feel the situation of another becomes a decision. as adults, empathy is a choice. we choose to be kind. we choose to find a way to better understand each other, and accept, in that understanding, our differences.

i don't know if my stories will ever  reach enough people to make a difference in how we understand, relate to, and interact with one another.
regardless, i'll keep trying.
understanding the origins of empathy might be a place to start.