I have been taking part in a practical philosophy course for the past 5 weeks and this post is in response to a recent realization I had. We have various exercises and quotes given during the class to consider each week. It being a classroom environment, I work very hard to be open and step back from the expert space even though I find many themes overlapping with previous knowledge. As many of you can probably attest, the more you feel you know about something, the quicker your mind is to respond when you hear something familiar. It can be a real challenge to hold your tongue, at least I find that to be the case when I think I have something positive to contribute. This week the topic was Ego so this seems especially relevant. The concept, let go of the Ego and stay open.
So what does this have to do with Horoscopes and Empathy? I found myself rebelling against a quote I heard. The quote was about negative emotions and when I read it, my mind flared up around the idea of toxic positivity. That was my ego response. My baseline belief in the inclusion of all emotions and feelings caused a strong emotional response as I felt it was in opposition to my belief system. Now, I state “I felt” for a very specific reason. As I breathed and tried to let go of my aggravated energy, I continued to try and understand what the writer of this ancient wisdom was trying to convey. Often, this is the process of empathy, stepping away from our point of view and trying to understand another. And now we get to the horoscope approach.
Horoscopes are hugely popular. In 2020, Scientific American stated that “As many as 70 million Americans read their horoscope daily”. That is a LOT of people investing their time. And they do it to seek wisdom. People from all walks of life, cultures, beliefs, and socio-economic circles invest time in the same horoscope on the same site, in the pursuit of wisdom and insight. Now, on the one hand, this is a perfect example of applied ego and sympathy. We take something, we hear or see and adapt it to conform to our belief system. But consider it from another point of view.
What if when we read or listen to something or someone, we stop at trying to understand It/Them rather than adapting what we hear to our understanding? What if we read the horoscope and tried to see it from the point of view of the writer or universe? We believe that there is wisdom and value or we wouldn’t read them, so wouldn’t there be value in understanding the origin? What might be the state of mind or being that generated today’s horoscope? The answer, we don’t know. But, in the same way we seek wisdom to apply to our lives by staying open to it, we can apply that openness to the creator. The difference is that we acknowledge we don’t have the answer. When it comes to how we apply those horoscopes to our lives, we find the answer within ourselves. We can’t do the same for the creator of our horoscopes. The only way to reach that level of insight is to ask and inquire. The key here is that we believe there is wisdom to be found. Acknowledging that the horoscope and understanding its origin has value. So, what is the Horoscope approach to Empathy?
Step 1) Place value in what is being said. Believe there is wisdom and worth.
Step 2) Stay open and receive it. Resist a response from the ego.
Step 3) Seek understanding through inquiry. Ask rather than assume.
That’s it. Only three steps to applying empathy. Now, the truly important part. How can you apply these steps in your life?