Meeting summary for Edwin Rutsch's Personal Meeting Room (02/18/2025)

Quick recap

Jodie and Edwin discussed the benefits and potential applications of empathy circles, with a focus on their impact on active listening and stress relief. They also explored the integration of other practices like Nonviolent Communication and Focusing into their empathy circle framework, with Jodie expressing interest in getting trained in these methodologies. Lastly, they shared their ongoing projects and future plans, including an upcoming event at Uc Santa Cruz, a meditation intervention project with the Harvard Neuroscience lab, and a workshop on fear and empathy.

Next steps

• • Jodie to review the International Focusing Institute website and videos to learn more about the focusing technique.

• • Edwin to continue refining his presentation on empathy definitions for upcoming events.

• • Jodie to prepare her presentation on empathy definitions for next week's meeting.

• • Edwin and Jodie to map Jodie's empathy definitions onto the empathy circle framework in next week's meeting.

• • Jodie to consider attending the empathy conference at UC Santa Cruz in May, either in person or online.

• • Jodie to watch Edwin's short video on metaphors of empathy.

• • Edwin to share more information about incorporating mindfulness and focusing techniques into empathy circles.

• • Jodie to explore the possibility of creating a new empathy measure that includes the ability to maintain conviction while being empathetic.

• • Jodie to consider helping Edwin create training materials for deeper levels of empathy circle practice in the future.

Summary

Empathy Circles and Student Engagement

Jodie shares her experience of conducting an empathy circle with three students. The main takeaway was that students found it to be good training for active listening, though they wouldn't use it in all interactions. Edwin discusses the importance of going through at least three rounds in an empathy circle for participants to fully settle into the process. Jodie expresses interest in continuing to offer empathy circles, possibly as a weekly activity students can sign up for. Edwin sees potential benefits for students in relieving stress and anxiety by being heard. They discuss the value of qualitative research on lived experiences with empathy circles rather than reducing it to quantitative measures. Edwin shares his plan to focus on clear definitions of empathy to build an empathy movement, and they discuss various aspects of empathy including basic empathy, self-empathy, imaginative empathy, and holistic empathy in the context of empathy circles.

Grounding Empathy in Practical Experiences

Jodie and Edwin discussed the importance of grounding empathy in practical experiences and connecting it to everyday life. Jodie expressed her concern about losing her ability to connect with people due to her academic focus on empathy. Edwin agreed to merge the practical and abstract aspects of empathy, aiming to create a framework that can be applied in real-life situations. They also discussed the potential of integrating other practices like Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and Focusing into their empathy circle framework. Jodie showed interest in getting trained in both methodologies and helping create training to go deeper into empathy circles.

Exploring Empathy and Compassion Measures

Jodie and Edwin discussed their ongoing projects and future plans. Jodie shared her excitement about an upcoming event at Uc Santa Cruz and her interest in the topic of empathy. She also mentioned her work on a meditation intervention project with the Harvard Neuroscience lab, focusing on empathy and compassion. Jodie expressed her passion for the topic of empathy and her desire to create a new measure to better understand it. Edwin shared his experience with a workshop on fear and empathy, and Jodie expressed interest in learning more about the focusing process. They also discussed the importance of grounding oneself during empathizing, with Jodie sharing her personal experience of over-empathizing and its consequences. They agreed to further discuss the topic of empathy in their next meeting.

2025-02-18 - Defining Jodie Edwin

Transcript

https://otter.ai/u/7hDJE9tOW93Eyh5dBJE4l1b-lvk?view=transcript

Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch discussed the benefits of empathy circles, noting that students found them helpful for active listening and personal growth. They emphasized the importance of practical applications and the need for clear definitions of empathy. Edwin proposed a framework including basic empathy, self-empathy, and imaginative empathy, while Jodie shared her interest in integrating empathy with academic studies and practical applications. They also explored the potential of combining empathy circles with mindfulness and focusing practices to deepen empathetic experiences. Future plans include refining empathy definitions, creating training programs, and collaborating on research projects. 

Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch discuss the concept of empathy, using the metaphor of a hot air balloon to illustrate the balance between engaging deeply with others' experiences and the risk of becoming untethered and overwhelmed. Jodie shares her personal experience with mental health challenges due to over-empathizing, emphasizing the importance of grounding oneself with support from friends, family, or a therapist. Edwin adds that grounding involves both observing and speaking, allowing one's perspective to be heard and witnessed by others. They plan to explore these ideas further in the context of an empathy circle, which provides a structured approach to empathy, ensuring turn-taking and understanding in conflict resolution.

Action Items

• 1. [ ] Continue the discussion on mapping Jodie's presentation on empathy definitions to the empathy circle framework.

  2. [ ] Explore the upcoming empathy conference at UC Santa Cruz and consider Jodie's participation.

  3. [ ] Review the International Focusing Institute resources on the Focusing practice.

Outline

Empathy Circle Experience and Benefits

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson discuss the benefits of empathy circles, particularly for students.

• Jodie Jenson shares that students found the empathy circle a good training ground for active listening.

• Edwin Rutsch mentions the importance of completing at least three rounds to reduce initial anxiety and foster a sense of connection.

• Jodie Jenson notes that students saw the benefits by the end of the second round and felt more comfortable with the "I feel heard" phraseology.

• A student with ADHD found the empathy circle helpful in focusing and being present with others.

Potential and Future of Empathy Circles

• Edwin Rutsch talks about the potential of empathy circles to relieve stress and anxiety.

• He shares his experience with empathy circles at Stanford, where students discussed personal issues like family conflicts.

• Edwin Rutsch mentions the empathy tent at Stanford, where empathy circles were held, and the different reactions from students.

• Jodie Jenson expresses her interest in continuing to study empathy qualitatively, focusing on lived experiences rather than statistical measures.

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson discuss the importance of understanding the lived experience of empathy rather than reducing it to numbers.

Defining and Clarifying Empathy

• Edwin Rutsch introduces the idea of defining empathy in the context of the empathy circle.

• He shares a video of a presentation where he discusses the different definitions of empathy.

• Edwin Rutsch mentions the controversy surrounding empathy, particularly when Barack Obama emphasized the importance of empathy in Supreme Court nominees.

• Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch discuss the confusion between empathy and sympathy, and the need for clear definitions.

• Edwin Rutsch talks about the importance of having a clear definition of empathy for building an empathy movement.

Holistic Empathy Framework

• Edwin Rutsch introduces the concept of holistic empathy, which includes basic empathy, self empathy, and imaginative empathy.

• He explains the role of active listening in strengthening basic empathy.

• Edwin Rutsch discusses the importance of self empathy and how being heard by others can strengthen one's sense of identity.

• Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch explore the concept of imaginative empathy, where one can imagine themselves in another person's situation.

• Edwin Rutsch shares examples of how imaginative empathy can be used in conflict mediation and role-playing exercises.

Mutual Empathy and Holistic Sensing

• Edwin Rutsch introduces the concept of holistic empathy, which involves sensing into the quality of the group interaction.

• He explains how mutual empathy involves a meta-level of thinking about the interaction as a whole.

• Jodie Jenson expresses interest in exploring the concept of holistic empathy further.

• Edwin Rutsch discusses the importance of mapping different definitions of empathy onto the empathy circle framework.

• Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch plan to go through her presentation and map it onto the empathy circle framework in their next meeting.

Practical Applications and Training

• Jodie Jenson shares her experience of becoming more cerebral in her academic studies, which has affected her practical empathy.

• Edwin Rutsch emphasizes the importance of merging scientific and experiential aspects of empathy.

• Jodie Jenson expresses interest in training in both empathy circles and non-violent communication (NVC).

• Edwin Rutsch explains how NVC and focusing practices can deepen the empathy circle experience.

• Jodie Jenson and Edwin Rutsch discuss the potential for creating training programs to go deeper into empathy circles.

Empathy and Mindfulness

• Edwin Rutsch shares his experience of combining empathy circles with mindfulness meditation.

• He describes a workshop where participants engaged in mindfulness meditation and empathy circles to discuss fears.

• Jodie Jenson expresses interest in exploring the effectiveness of combining mindfulness and empathy circles.

• Edwin Rutsch mentions the potential for qualitative research to understand the impact of these practices.

• Jodie Jenson plans to read more about focusing and its potential to enhance empathy circle experiences.

Empathy and Academic Research

• Jodie Jenson discusses her ongoing research projects, including a meditation intervention with Harvard.

• She explains the focus on empathy and compassion as outcomes of the meditation intervention.

• Jodie Jenson shares her experiment on political discussions and the need for a new measure of empathy.

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson discuss the challenges of measuring empathy and the importance of practical applications.

• Jodie Jenson plans to create a new measure to capture the ability to maintain one's convictions while being empathetic.

Empathy and Philosophical Foundations

• Jodie Jenson emphasizes the importance of understanding the philosophical foundations of empathy.

• She discusses the need to challenge underlying assumptions about human beings and empathy.

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson explore the balance between cerebral and practical aspects of empathy.

• Jodie Jenson plans to bring her research back to practical applications to maintain her empathetic connections.

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson discuss the potential for creating training programs to deepen empathy circle experiences.

Future Plans and Collaboration

• Edwin Rutsch and Jodie Jenson plan to continue their collaboration on empathy circle training and research.

• They discuss the importance of practical applications and the potential for creating new training programs.

• Jodie Jenson shares her excitement about upcoming projects and the potential for making a significant impact.

• Edwin Rutsch emphasizes the importance of grounding empathy definitions in practical experiences.

• They plan to meet again to go through Jodie Jenson's presentation and map it onto the empathy circle framework.

Understanding Empathy and Grounding

• Jodie Jenson explains the concept of empathy as a metaphorical hot air balloon ride, emphasizing the balance between soaring to understand others and the risk of getting lost in their experiences.

• She discusses the importance of reflective listening and grounding oneself, using personal experiences to illustrate the need for a support system, such as friends, family, or therapists.

• Jodie shares a personal story about a tragic event that led to her experiencing serious mental health challenges due to over-empathizing, highlighting the necessity of self-grounding techniques.

• Edwin Rutsch adds that grounding involves being both an observer and a speaker, allowing one's perspective to be heard and observing the community's empathy, which he finds grounding.

The Role of Metaphors in Empathy

• Edwin Rutsch mentions a video he created on metaphors of empathy, suggesting it as a creative way to understand and teach empathy.

• Jodie Jenson agrees, noting that metaphors provide concrete images to help grasp abstract concepts, such as the hot air balloon metaphor for empathy.

• They discuss the use of metaphors in presentations, with Jodie sharing a humorous video of a weather balloon in a hurricane to illustrate the chaos of over-empathizing.

• Edwin relates this to conflict situations, where strong emotions can be overwhelming, and the empathy circle provides a structured approach to manage these feelings.

The Empathy Circle and Conflict Resolution

• Edwin explains that the empathy circle helps create a structure for grounding, ensuring that empathy is balanced with listening and speaking.

• He compares it to learning to ride a bicycle, emphasizing the importance of turn-taking and giving space to everyone to be heard.

• Jodie agrees, noting that the empathy circle is a valuable training tool for developing empathy and conflict resolution skills.

• They express excitement about discussing these concepts in more depth in their next meeting, with Edwin sharing a link to the metaphors video for further exploration.

Preparation for the Next Meeting

• Jodie mentions that she has marked the tabs for further reference, indicating her preparation for their next discussion.

• Edwin and Jodie conclude the meeting by looking forward to their next session, where they plan to delve deeper into the topics of empathy, grounding, and the empathy circle.

• They both express their enthusiasm for the upcoming conversation, highlighting the importance of these concepts in understanding and managing empathy.

• The meeting ends on a positive note, with both participants feeling ready to continue exploring and refining their understanding of empathy and its practical applications.