Asking for Empathy
Here’s another great article from Rick and Jan Hanson at Nurture Mom. Rick and Jan are the authors of Mother Nurture: A Mother’s Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships.
Asking for Empathy
Q: My husband’s good at solving problems, but I wish he listened better when I want to share how I’m feeling or talk about our relationship. Is there something I could ask him to do?
A: All of us could probably get better at empathy, but men in particular tend to be raised in our society to focus on facts and solutions rather than feelings and relationships. If approached with respect (and some empathy as well), many fathers welcome a gentle suggestion about what to actually do in order to be more empathic. One dad actually asked his partner to give him a list of questions to ask her, and this is what she came up with:
Can you say more about ____________?
What do you mean when you say _____________?
Can you give me an example?
How was it for you that ___________?
How did you react when he told you about _____________?
Could you say it in a different way so I can understand it?
How mad were you? (Or worried, hurt, alarmed, sad, etc.)
What was the most upsetting part? (The most irritating? The most worrisome?)
What do you wish would have happened instead?
What do you feel underneath all that?
Did you also feel hurt (or embarrassed, ashamed, helpless, etc.)?
What does ___________ remind you of?
How does the history of __________ affect how you feel about __________?
Deep down, what is really bothering you about ___________?
Published August 19, 2008 . Filed under: Life Balance, Relationships
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