Empathy and Emotional Intelligence



This is Water written by David Foster Wallace was a commencement speech which encapsulates and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding various perspectives, particularly in situations that usually induce frustration and anger. He stresses the issue of being self-aware in our surroundings; to take an honest view of the world around us instead of centering and putting ourselves in front of everyone else's emotions and thoughts. The ability to understand and be aware of a person's thoughts and emotions and to control your own expression of emotions is called emotional intelligence. Having a higher emotional intelligence enables you to show more empathy for people in various situations.  Empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings with a person.

In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God written by Zora Neale Hurston, readers are able to empathize with Nanny's decision in trying to ensure that Janie obtains financial security through marriage. She was born into slavery, a victim of rape and her past experiences has made her cautious about what can happen to a pretty woman like Janie. Being aware of Nanny's backstory enables us to understand Nanny's motivations to be protective of Janie and to ensure Janie's safety in the future.


Comments

  1. Anonymous5 September 2018 at 23:19

    I liked how you phrased your understanding of the reading as "honest". It's a good word to describe the overall message of the reading, as we need to be more honest with ourselves and our personalities.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tómas Egilsson5 September 2018 at 23:30

    I do agree to your insight that readers are easily able to empathize with Nanny's character. However, you need to try and make connections between the two texts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown5 September 2018 at 23:30

    Very good blog post Sury! I really did like your word choice and diction. One improvement you can do is make a connection to the text instead of insinuating it. You did talk about Nanny and how her backstory creates empathy in the reader however there is no clear connection. Great blog post though.

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