Damon Smith

Hey there everyone. in the last few days I struck upon some thoughts about empathy and how it can be developed. About a year ago I would catagorzie myself as one of the least empathetic people I knew. I was heavy into philosophy, psychology, and freedom, but the topics really weren't connecting to me at an emotion level. In the last few weeks I have come to realize I am now the most empathetic person I know. (This is very disorienting.) I have been named an "emotional mentor" by someone whom I respect. This past week I had some thoughts about what changed and what I did to parcipiate that change. I believe it came down to something as simple as curiousity with honesty. I would really like to know what you all think. Please take a look, and see if any of these ideas strike a chord within you as they have done with me. Thanks, Damon Saturday, June 15, 2013[/font] [anchor=5365044994359049928][/anchor] A Path to Empathy - Wait, How Did I Get Here? "One year ago I was reveling in the excitement of self directed learning, yet I isolated myself from the emotional consequences of what I was learning. Since then, I have undergone an empathetic awakening like nothing I have experienced in my memory. Today, I find myself in the position of being a philosophical mentor to most everyone around me. Strangely, while I command much respect for my incisive thinking into complex emotional struggles, I find my attitude softened, with a humble humility pervading my communication tone and methodology."

"About one year ago I was approached by a creative and driven young student to participate in a school career project in which the student interviews a professional about their career and industry. As one may expect, the questions asked were dictated to the student by the teacher, and as also expected, they were bland and uninspired. Given my respect for the creativity and curiosity of this student, I threw myself full force into answering each question with the full force of the wisdom I had earned through my experiences and choices." I hope you enjoy reading my responses to this student as I describe my thoughts about working in the themepark design industry. One thing I notice lacking in these responses from 12 months ago is any signifigant empathy. If I were to reply to these questions today, I believe my content would be very similar but much softer in language. Questioning One's Career - A Student Asks a Professional... ow.ly A simple student project offers an opportunity to explore the assumptions, values, and goals which have and continue to affect one's decision...

I think the most powerful thing for me is how the director did not hold back at all in portraying the brutal violence of the traumatized child's inner mind. The monster characters of his subconscious hold nothing back in their un empathetic, brutally physical "play". This honest portrayal of the child's numbed attitude towards the empathy of the other was on point and chillingly familiar.

Hello everyone. I recently had a deep and powerful expereince watching and then processing the film "Where the Wild Things Are." I went into this movie with the assumption I would find a pleasant fantasy adventure. My defenses were down as I expected no more than a superficial family friendly film which would avoid serious and important topics. This is not what I ended up seeing. I instead I meet a creative, passionate, resourceful young boy who has been the victim of so much abuse. I highly reccomend the film if you are interested in the topics of the Mecosystem, Parent Child Relationships, Morality, Education, and Empathy. I was so moved, I resurected my blog to pour out a deeply powerful and personal delve into this raw adventure drama which pulls almost no punches. I invite you to read through my blog post. I am very interested in bringing up some of the topics scratched at with Dayna Martin this weekend. Thanks, Damon Where the Wild Things Are... Indeed

Hey all! My company allots $750 for each of us to take on a personal learning opportunity each year. (up to $375 for travel, and $375 for courses/materials) It is completely self chosen and does not have to align with your direct role. I am interested to see what suggestions anyone has on training, seminars, getaways, or conventions/festivals that I could attend to further my self knowledge/empathy/communication/empowerment skills. Any ideas? I would like to work on becoming a facilitator who can help people take on responsibility through clear honest communication. To do so, I believe the first step for me is learning to listen and empathise.