Empathy Vs. Compassion Vs. Sympathy

We came to this world alone and it is part of our nature to search for some way to identify with others. Human interaction is the basis of how our society works. Being able to share with others our thoughts and emotions justifies the social norms. Human beings are social animals, and we are more powerful collaborating with one another.

Humans are able to feel like they are connected with another human through putting themselves in the position of the other person. We are able to "project...personality into the object of contemplation"(401) and pretend that we were them.

A mother of a baby cannot know exactly what the baby is feeling, but she is able to imagine it. Therefore, she has to hone in on her intuition and empathy to meet the baby's needs.

This reading reminded me of the way non profit organizations always have causes that are not directly impacting the people who volunteer. This shows that they are empathetic, and can imagine what those in need are feeling. Take the natural disaster that hit Haiti, we were not directly effected with this Earthquake, but so many compassionate people went out of their way to help out. This is a wonderful characteristic of the human species. Having empathy, compassion , and sympathy is essential to what it means to be human. Everything we do on a daily basis has "emotional notes and chords that weave through [our] words and actions." Without these emotional clues, we would probably go throughout our day apathetic and robotic.

After reading this I felt happy because it is very incredible how communal a group of individuals are

My favorite quote from this reading was, "if one values the life of a being who can enjoy life, then one must value every life of like beings in the same way."

Texas Memorial Museum

I learned that there were Saber tooth tiger remains discovered here in Texas. To have roamed in this prehistoric era where there was no development of civilization and be remembered for that long must be significant. The saber tooth tigers were large creatures that preyed on herbivores like horse and camel. I noticed that there are similarities between how our society runs and the animal kingdom. There always seems to be some sort of unstated hierarchy. This animal was once so powerful and could tear the tough flesh and bones of other large animals.

What I noticed was something interesting about the relationship between humans and animals is that humans learn from the past which includes the animals evolutions and changes in the animal kingdom. The cycle of life comes naturally for animals, because that is all they know. Humans however preserve and analyze for future use. This is why we have museums in the first place.

The architecture of the museum was very simple and classical Greek style. I noticed the carving of the outline of Texas carried on the shoulders of an Atlas figure. This is supposed to symbolize the combination of technological improvements with nature, as Atlas shoulders the wealth of rivers and forests. As the human race speeds up towards more developments in technology and industry, they must preserve the forces of nature that will always keep a steady anchor for future endeavors.

Style and design such as the mosasaur's vertebrae was used as inspiration for the teaching area on the side of the museum. There were blown up replicas of the bone structure of those marine reptiles.

As my power animal the otter, I feel incredibly morose for the dead exoskeleton of this cushion starfish that I saw on the first floor. Its habitat is not the same as it was decades ago and to die and be displayed must be embarrassing. This was the skeleton found on the coast in the Caribbean. I did not see the skeletal structure of my relative, however, I could imagine the sadness I would have felt in the process of analyzing how precious life is.

I kept asking myself, is this authentically real? While walking around the third floor, I could not imagine the process of installing the glass eyes, removing the insides, and recreating this figure. However, I do appreciate the legacy of this otter. It will be remembered for as long as it is on display. I think that it is really important to know about the past.

On the fourth floor i learned all about pond scum called Diatoms. These are microscopic organisms that produce asexually and survive by making food out of sunlight. Scientists have called them microscopic gems . These tiny single celled organisms of algae have undergone specifically the Darwin theories of evolution. This is similar to a process humans go through in order to keep improving people must evolve, through the survival of the fittest the strengths will pass on from generation to generation. I feel comforted as my strengths will be noticed and passed on to my future generations.

Trip to the Blanton

The painting I chose to analyze is called "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Domenico Piola an Italian artist who painting during the Baroque period. He was a leading artist in Genoa, and developed a skill of imitating the work of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. For this particular piece Piola was quoting from Castiglione's Adoration of the Shepherds that was an alter piece at the church of San Luca in Genoa.

This is Castiglione's Adoration of the Shepherds

This work depicts the nativity scene, the birth of baby Jesus with the Virgin Mary and shepherds as witnesses. All focus is casted onto the radiant baby, Piola emphasizes this point through the glowing light which surrounds both the mother and child. Not only does he use contrasting of lights and darks to draw the eye of the viewer. He also uses many animals in the painting to symbolize peace and tranquility. The Roosters are resting under the baby's cradle, and it is very relaxed because they share the same space with the humans. It is a depiction of the acceptance and respect they have for this superior being. The unification of the relationship of animals and humans.

Water: The Essence of Life

The water that is contaminated with bacterias.

I believe in educating the unprivileged people who have not been made aware of the importance of nutrition and hygiene. By following the lead of Peace Corps volunteers, I propose using simple systems that teach these people ways to prevent illnesses and protect themselves physically. Of all the projects that the Peace Corps organization is involved in, I value the work of health volunteers who educate countries about improving living conditions and health by having safe drinking water.

As we all can imagine, water is the most essential element for all life. Not having clean water can jeopardize food production and eventually lead to malnutrition. “Malnutrition caused an estimated 11.7% of all deaths…in 1990.” [1] This topic is easy to relate to because everyone can appreciate helping by making simple donations that will make a significant difference in others’ lives.

My leadership vision is a tremendous goal. In order to reach the ideal result, there is a need for an action plan. I want to begin by bringing awareness into my community about the need for clean water in many countries. I want to make an impact on society as a whole by bringing awareness to the student body of how fortunate we are to have proper sanitation in our drinking water. I truly believe that as “human beings, we are responsible for our own lives“ and that “we have the initiative and responsibility to make things happen.” [2] I cannot just stand by and watch others suffer from diseases because they do not have access to a resource as basic as water. There are many people in many countries that use the same water that is their source for bathing and washing laundry, who use it also for drinking. “Diseases related to water, sanitation, and hygiene disproportionately affect poorer members of society. The reasons behind this are complex and interconnected. They include better access by the more wealthy to services and/or less polluted environments.” [3] For example in some of the rural areas of El Salvador, Peace Corps volunteers have worked to provide “access to water and sanitation services”. They educate about health, hygiene, and water use practices that prepare communities in the future for these sustainable resources. [4] I hope to one day be able to donate my time to serve these people and become part of the process to teach them about how to improve their lives.

In non-profit organizations like the Water Project and Charity Water, they are working towards the same goal to make more towns have access to clean drinking water. According to Charity Water’s webpage, “clean water can greatly alleviate the world’s disease burden, but only with education and hygienic practice. charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living.”[5] Not only will this benefit communities with living conditions, but “the UN also predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.” I found these facts incredible and there is no way I can pass on an opportunity to benefit people all over the globe.

During the four years that I attend UT, I plan to become a personal testimony and embody the image of a proactive leader as described in Stephen Covey’s book and what we have learned in class this semester. I would love to host a benefit concert where proceeds can go toward this cause. In order to get started, I need to connect with other student organizations that may have resources to help me follow through with this idea. Using the resources of joint organizations, it could generate a lot of power to promote awareness of how we can help other countries who need clean drinking water. After generating enough awareness around campus about this cause, from there on I could proceed with planning a concert with local artists. This would not be possible if I do not follow through with my planning of the event without cooperation from the student body and performers. Like in the words of Napoleon Hill to describe cooperation, “leadership calls for power, and power calls for cooperation.”[6] I hope to influence others through my example, in the words of Ghandi, “ be the change you want to see”.

The change that I want to see is a concentrated unity towards a common goal. I am a part of this community we currently called UGS 302: Leadership, Ethics, and Animals. I have more confidence to execute goals and tasks that I want to get done because of the wonderful stories from the anthology about other’s experiences and leadership examples. I hope that our little UGS community will continue to connect and inform each other of opportunities to grow as leaders. I have made my leadership vision statement, but it is nothing unless I build a strong community of people who will cooperate with me to make my vision into reality. In the near future, I see all people have access to sanitary facilities and clean drinking water.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

Word count: 765

Word count without quotes 723

Images:

http://phoenix.twestival.com/files/2009/02/dirtywater01.jpg

http://www.paddlinginstructor.com/images/stories/blog/charity_water_poster.jpg

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http://www.thequoteblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/gandhi.jpg

Endnotes:

[1]Murray CJL, Lopez AD. (1996). The Global Burden of Disease. Cambridge, MA:Harvard School of Public Health, WHO, World Bank.

[2]Covey, S. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Fireside. 71.

[3]Pruss, A. (2002). Estimating the burden of disease from water, sanitation, and hygiene. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(5), Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3455343

[4]What do volunteers do?. (2009, September 3). Retrieved from http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whatvol

[5]Why water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/

[6]Hill, N. (1966). Think and grow rich. New York City: Wilshire Book Company. 121.