Some personal reflection on why and how we should strive to understand others.

1. WHY EMPATHY?
ACCEPTINGTHE COMPLEXITIESOF THE INDIVIDUAL AND
EMBRACINGTHE MULTITUDES WITHIN

2. WHAT DETERMINES WHO WE ARE COGNITIVELY?
Family
Friends
Media
Coworkers
Life Event Experiences
Major Life Event Experiences

3. EACH EXPERIENCE IS A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTOR
TO OUR BELIEFS AND BIASES
The first time you held a comb against a small streamof tap water causing it to
bend, and realizing how cool science could be. SCIENCE EXPLAINS LIFE
That time the church took up an offering to help your family meet the monthly
bills you couldn’t because of medical expenses. GOD IS GOOD
The countless times as a kid that your family had conversations about politics, and
how you didn’t care, but each time picked up a little bit more of the conversation.
RONALD REAGAN WAS THE BEST PRESIDENT

4. UNIQUE EXPERIENCES HAPPEN EVERY DAY…
Family
Friends
Media
Coworkers
Day

5. …BUT FEW STAY WITH US
Family
Friends
Media
Coworkers
The Next Day

6. …BUT FEW STAY WITH US
Family
Friends
Media
Coworkers
The Next Week

7. …BUT FEW STAY WITH US
Family
Friends
Media
Coworkers
Forever

8. FOR EXPERIENCES TO STICK THE FIRST TIME,
SOMETHING BIG MUST HAPPEN
AND WHEN SOMETHINGBIG HAPPENS, MEMORIESARE FORMED AROUND
THE “ARTIFACTS”OF THAT EXPERIENCE
DEATH
THE CHAIN RESTAURANTYOU WERE EATING AT WHEN YOU FOUND OUT IS NOW
TAINTED AND IMPOSSIBLETO EAT AT
THE SPECIFIC MEAL YOU WERE EATING WHEN YOUFOUND OUT IS NOW TAINTED,
REGARDLESSWHERE YOU EAT IT

9. FOR EXPERIENCES TO STICK THE FIRST TIME,
SOMETHING BIG MUST HAPPEN
AND WHEN SOMETHINGBIG HAPPENS, MEMORIESARE FORMED AROUND
THE “ARTIFACTS”OF THAT EXPERIENCE
LOVE
THE SENSATIONOF THE DANCING UNDER THE STARS,BOTH SOUND AND A BREEZE
BRUSHING AGAINST YOU, AS YOU HOLD THAT SOMEONEIN YOURARMS
THE SONG YOU WERE DANCING TO WHEN YOU WORKED UP THE COURAGE TO CLOSE
IN FOR A FIRSTKISS

10. EXPERIENCES CEMENT OUR OPINIONS ON CULTURAL TOPICS
AND ESTABLISH THEIR IMPORTANCE
Topic A
Topic B
Topic C
Topic D
Topic E
Topic F
Topic G
Topic H
Topic I
Topic J
Topic K
Topic L
Topic M
Topic N
Topic O
Topic P
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Topic AAZZ
Agree Disagree Indifferent Agree Disagree Indifferent
incredibly important important

11. THE IDEALS YOU HOLD CONSTRUCT YOUR BELIEF GENOME
Agree Disagree Indifferent
=

12. WITH UNLIMITED COMBINATIONS, WE’RE ALL UNIQUE
As unique as our DNA, our Belief Genome is solely ours.

13. INFLUENCE BEGETS COHORTS, COHORTS BEGET INFLUENCE
Although we are unique, we always connect and collect with others who are like us.

14. WE CONTAIN
MULTITUDES
AND SO DOES
EVERYONE ELSE
Every millisecond of life, has the possibility
of influencing who we are as a human.

15. WE STRUGGLE TO CONNECT WITH OTHER HUMANS BECAUSE
WE CAN’T IMAGINE WHY THEY THINK WHAT THEY THINK
In those situations remember the Belief Genome; the thousands of large and small life
experiences that inform a person’s opinions and thoughts.
And then remember your own.
When you can appreciate how the seconds, minutes, days, months and years of those
experiences differ, you’ll be able to genuinely empathize with that person.

16. EMPATHY DOES NOT EQUAL AGREEMENT
But the foundation of all meaningful dialogue is civility and understanding. Finding solutions
to human problems necessitates empathy.

17. EMBRACE THE COMPLEXITY. DFTBA.