Noticing how we can try to understand how someone else feels.
Exploring what it means to care about other people's feelings.
Considering how imagining someone's feelings helps us understand them.
Thinking about how we can notice when a friend feels sad or happy.
Exploring how empathy helps us be kind to others.
Mark Ruffalo and Murray talk about the word empathy. Mark says empathy means understanding and caring how someone else feels. Murray does not get it, so Mark pretends to stub his toe. Murray imagines how sore that feels, and Mark says that is empathy. They share a sad feeling and a happy feeling, and Murray understands.
• What did Mark do to help Murray understand empathy?
• How can you tell when a friend feels sad?
• What does it look like when someone feels happy?
• What sort of things can you do when a friend feels sad?
• What did you notice about how Murray felt when Mark told him he had lost his favourite teddy?
• How does it feel when someone understands how you feel?
• What is a kind thing you could do for a sad friend?
• Can you think of a time when you have felt the same feeling as someone else?
The questions within this guide are designed to open dialogue and facilitate discussion around the relevant topics. It is up to the user to adapt as needed to best suit the person they are supporting. A neuroaffirming approach was central to the design of these resources and remains essential to their application. This means recognising and respecting the diverse ways people think, communicate, and experience the world, ensuring all conversations are led with curiosity, respect, and without judgement. These resources are a starting point. Trust your knowledge of the person you are supporting to shape the conversation from there.
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