Empathy in the Arts

Both Buddhism and Christianity teach us that we must take distance from the ego and to feel compassion with other humans. But isn’t there a conflict between these two teachings since suffering comes from the ego and compassion is to feel with the pain of others? In other words how can you feel compassion without being dragged in to the games of the ego?

People want to relate to the stories you are telling. We want to enable an audience to not just identify with a character, but also empathize with them. Empathy can be a very powerful audience experience.

Who does not feel something when thinking about forbidden love? I would guess that most people with any range of experience and awareness in life could identify with Romeo and Juliet.

Human beings are interconnected spiritually, emotionally, mentally, even physically. Everyone remembers this occasionally, with a little shock of recognition. Take breathing, for example. What could seem more personal than our breath? Yet humans all over the world share your air.

Let me surround your delicate heart
like a shield,
protecting you from your grief,

let my gentleness cushion you,
soaking up your tears
like a silk handkerchief,

let my soul touch your soul,
unravelling your knotted fibres,
filling your emptiness,
removing your despair...
...

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