I set out with the intention of detaching myself from my natural tendency for deep empathy and practicing only quiet, detached listening.
I wanted to explore: What does it mean to listen without empathy?
Why would someone choose to listen in that way? And can speakers sense when a listener is present but not connected?
I failed. My empathy flowed through despite my efforts to suppress it.
The experiment revealed not so much what “listening without empathy” feels like, but rather how deeply ingrained empathy is in my way of being.
I failed this challenge. Despite my intentional decision to strip away my usual deep empathy and practice only quiet listening, I couldn’t succeed. My empathy overpowered me.
Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to separate ourselves from what defines us. Even in controlled thought experiments, our authentic nature has a way of rising to the surface.
#leadershipdiary