Tag: empathy

Frans de Waal, News of a Kidnapping, Carrie, William Ury, and a Bible Passage

Frans de Waal, News of a Kidnapping, Carrie, William Ury, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 17, 2024

Sunday Supplement #184 (November 17th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Human morality is unthinkable without empathy.”

– Frans de Waal

Book of the Week:

News of a Kidnapping – Gabriel García Márquez

News of a Kidnapping recounts the 1990s kidnappings, including ten prominent journalists, by the Medellín Cartel operated by Pablo Escobar.

Gabriel García Márquez covers the events, from the government’s handling of the situation to the cartel’s experiences and those they captured.

I found the read engaging but intense. In a time and place where presidential candidates and cabinet members were frequently assassinated, I didn’t know how the story would end.

I’ve featured Gabriel García Márquez in Sunday Supplement #79. I highly recommend reading the Nobel Prize-winning author’s works.

Movie of the Week:

Carrie

I’ve featured several Stephen King books in previous Sunday Supplements, but only a couple of the films adapted from his works.

The reason I haven’t featured many Stephen King movies is because I don’t believe most have captured the magic of his stories. Brian De Palma’s Carrie is one of the few that did.

Carrie was Stephen King’s brilliant debut novel. It was also the first of his stories to be adapted to the screen.

The story follows Carrie, a shy, friendless girl who is sheltered by a domineering, religious mother. After years of abuse, Carrie finally finds herself fighting back in an unexpected way.

Brainfood of the Week:

Peace Is A Process – William Ury | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

William Ury spent decades as a peace negotiator and has written several books, including the best-seller Getting To Yes.

Simon Sinek, who I have featured in several previous Sunday Supplements, is a bestselling author and speaker on leadership. His podcast A Bit of Optimism features him speaking with various people, with the aim of leaving those who listen feeling a bit more optimistic.

In this episode, Sinek asks Ury about his experiences as a peace negotiator, and they discuss how these tactics cross over in many different areas of our lives.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

– Colossians 3:12

When I read religious passages, I look for the meaning behind the passages and what valuable lessons they can impart to me.

This Bible passage discusses the importance of showing compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. It specifically refers to clothing yourself in these traits— in my opinion, so that others can see them.

These traits are more valuable when shared. Others can see these behaviors and be positively affected by them, as well as be provided with an example of how one can choose to be.

Make space for empathy in your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

Vivek Murthy, The Inheritance Cycle, Grave of the Fireflies, Stephanie Briggs, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 26, 2023

Sunday Supplement #133 (November 26th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Empathy is choosing to see ourselves in another despite our differences. It’s recognizing that the same humanity – the same desire for meaning, fulfillment, and security – exists in each of us, even if it’s expressed uniquely.

– Vivek Murthy

Book of the Week:

The Inheritance Cycle Series – Christopher Paolini

I’ve kept a list of books I’ve read since 7th grade, and despite some laptop crashes and missing periods, the book that started the list was Christopher Paolini’s Eragon.

I read a lot as a kid but fell in love and truly experienced the wonders of what a book could do when I read Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle.

Paolini’s series tells the tale of the fictional world of Alagaësia and a teenage farm boy, Eragon’s journey to overthrow the evil king Galbatorix.

The series has elves, dwarves, Urgals, magic, and dragons, all intricately woven into a tale that soars to the heights of what fantasy and storytelling should be.

I highly recommend the series, especially if you are into fantasy and adventure. The conclusion in the original series is one of the best and most satisfying I’ve read in epic fantasy.

*I’m currently reading the latest addition in Paolini’s world of Alagaësia, Murtagh, and it’s been an excellent read so far!

Movie of the Week:

Grave of the Fireflies

The Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies is based on the 1967 short story by Akiyuki Nosaka about a young boy and his little sister struggling to survive in Japan during World War II.

I have featured several Studio Ghibli films in the past, and I try not to flood the blog with repetitive recommendations, but Grave of the Fireflies is another gem from their collection well worth highlighting.

In legendary critic Roger Ebert’s review of the film, he states, “Grave of the Fireflies is an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation… I know what the critic Ernest Sister means when he compares it to “Schindler’s List” and says, “It is the most profoundly human animated film I’ve ever seen.”

Isao Takahata’s masterpiece is a heart-wrenching and harrowing adaptation. If you look up the film, you’ll find many more glowing testimonials from celebrated filmmakers and critics.

Brainfood of the Week:

Developing Empathy as a Practice | Stephanie Briggs | TEDx Talks

Stephanie Briggs is a professor at the Community College of Baltimore County and recipient of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society Building Communities grant for “Practical Empowerment: Building Contemplative Communities with Students of Color.”

Briggs highlights Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness, “Paying attention in a certain way on purpose without judgment,” at the beginning of the TEDx Talks.

She then discusses the different practices around empathy in her classroom and how the students have engaged with them in the past.

One of the exercises Briggs discusses is the assignment of taking four photos in their community, answering the questions, “What is beautiful in my community? What is difficult in my community? What needs to change? And what has shaped me in my community?”

This TEDx Talk has much to take away from it, including some valuable practices and heartfelt stories from Briggs’s students.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

– Luke 6:31

This Bible passage has been called “The Golden Rule” for living, and I think it is a worthwhile verse to remember.

On the surface, I think it’s pretty clear the passage speaks to treating others as you would want to be treated.

Reflecting on the passage, I also see that it’s easy to perpetuate how you’ve been treated or feel you’ve been treated.

The Matthew 5:39 verse about “turning the other cheek” is challenging when treated poorly. But I think the best we can do is to put good out into the world as much as possible.

Try to empathize with others, put good out into the world, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Robert Anthony, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, The Banker, Brené Brown, and a Chinese Proverb

Robert Anthony, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, The Banker, Brené Brown, and a Chinese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 20, 2022

Sunday Supplement #45 (March 20th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”

– Robert Anthony

Book of the Week:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

You might have seen this book with the bright orange cover at Barnes and Noble. I walked by it, thinking the title was terrible, but it eventually was gifted to me, so I read it.

While there are some messages in the book that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with or think were presented in the best way, there is much wisdom in its pages.

There are many lessons in the book centered around finding the things you want to do, even with the challenges that come with them.

Manson calls out much coddling that happens in modern times and questions the readers on what they are willing to learn about themselves while being brutally honest about the results.

Once we stop running away from self-knowledge and start confronting truths about the situations we find ourselves in, we can move forward with courage, perseverance, responsibility, and curiosity.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck has spent over 244 weeks on the New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous list. It’s worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

The Banker

Inspired by true events, The Banker tells the story of entrepreneur Bernard Garrett as he becomes one of the first wealthy African American entrepreneurs in the United States.

Garrett was born in Willis, Texas, and later moved to California, where he started to amass a fortune in real estate.

Because of racism in America, Garrett and his partner Joe Morris worked with a working-class white man, Matt Steiner, who pretended to be their business head.

Anthony Mackie stars as Bernard Garrett, with Samuel L. Jackson brilliantly supporting as Joe Morris. Nicolas Hoult also holds his own as Matt Steiner, and Nia Long adds a significant presence as Eunice Garrett.

The Banker received negative press after the sexual allegations against Bernard Garrett’s son and didn’t make much of an impact upon its release.

The film about Bernard Garrett Sr is well-done and tells a story worth seeing and knowing.

Brainfood of the Week:

Brené Brown on Blame

I’ve featured Brené Brown in two previous Sunday Supplements. She is the author of six number-one New York Times bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy.

This video is an RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce) YouTube clip of Brown talking about what happens when we blame others.

In the animated video, Brown tells a story about her spilling a cup of coffee in the morning and how she immediately blamed her husband.

Her mind created a narrative of how her husband’s actions from the previous night resulted in her spilling the coffee in the morning.

Brown then breaks down the story and uses it to explain the components of blame. Usually, the first thing we want to know is who’s fault something is.

People might even want it to be their fault rather than it being no one’s fault. This thought process gives us some semblance of control.

However, Brown explains how blaming is the discharging of discomfort and pain. There is an inverse relationship with accountability.

While accountability brings vulnerability, where we are willing to reveal how we feel and listen to others’ experience events, blame engages judgment through anger while shutting out other narratives.

When we blame, we miss opportunities for empathy.

The full video is only three minutes long and a good sample of the work of Brené Brown. And RSA’s YouTube page has many other brilliant clips sharing knowledge with over 100 million views.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.”

– Chinese Proverb

This Chinese proverb exemplifies one of the most important lessons I’ve learned and try to remember whenever I encounter frustration.

Many different wisdom traditions, religions, and cultures have a similar saying or quote to emphasize the importance of seeing things clearly.

When anything happens, we usually craft a narrative around the event. That story we tell ourselves is our perceptions of events and typically triggers our reaction or response.

The Chinese proverb reminds me how crucial it is not to attribute blame. Our narratives are in our own hands, and we decide how to move forward.

Rarely do people try to make mistakes, and blame is an action that doesn’t help anyone. Putting that emotion on yourself or others takes up energy that could be used fruitfully in other ways. That shift in energy takes the past away and shapes your future.

Leave blame behind, think of what you should do next, and have a blessed week ahead!

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