Empathy in Ink

Harnessing the Transformative Power of Narrative to Overcome Division

Here is some hard-earned wisdom- you rarely change a person's heart through information. I know that's a strong statement, but I spent years trying to do just that. For fifteen years, I would learn new information and then write blogs and books about it.

But over time, I discovered that instead of transforming people or fostering unity, information often had the opposite effect of dividing individuals. It became apparent that others could easily dismiss my writings by disregarding my "facts," insisting that they had their “own set of facts.” This was disheartening because my true intention was not to engage in a battle of the facts but rather to inspire a change of heart.

In 2019, I was ready to walk away from writing. I no longer wanted to contribute to what I perceived as a growing ideological rift in our country. The information I shared and the perspective from which I presented it were hailed by some and condemned by others. I hated this situation. As someone who always aimed to reach all audiences equally, even if my ideas challenged some, residing in an echo chamber was a dreadful place to exist.

I wondered if there was a different way to engage people. I thought about how all of the great teachers used stories or parables to subversively disarm people and get below the surface to disengage their defensive posture. What I realized was that stories and anecdotes allow people to engage with difficult topics, ideas, and perspectives through flesh and blood characters. They don’t require anyone to win an argument. Stories create space for nuance, perspective, and empathy because the characters are dynamic and hardly ever as dualistic as we perceive people to be in real life. We see their struggles. We feel their heartache with them. We walk beside them as they wrestle through ambiguity. Through this, we can better understand how they arrive at a thought, decision, or action.

One of the most gratifying aspects of writing my first fiction book was having people tell me that they saw parts of themselves in each of the characters. Even the characters most unlike them. Even the characters regarded as the “villain.” Maybe that’s what we need right now more than ever- more people reading meaningful stories that help us grow in empathy and understanding. Stories that help us see ourselves in others. And maybe we need this more than writings that only harden our positions and create more division with others.

Exercise

1. Choose a character from a book or television show with differing views, imagine their thoughts and emotions, and either write down your newfound understanding or share it with a friend as a way to foster empathy and bridge divides.

Peace,

Brandon