basic skills--empathy

[Adam Blatner]

Hi, Bud. Thanks for your good words. Now about systemic work---it seems that what you're suggesting is that people can use this approach to empathize in ways that are surprisingly accurate. I don't doubt that putting oneself into an action sociogram can evoke surprisingly accurate intuitions, but still that requires a whole group session, a getting-together, a warm-up, a process.
       What I'm suggesting is that role taking, as described in my webpage paper, Imaginative Enactments---just imagining oneself in the predicament of another---can strengthen personal skilfullness in empathy. This could be taught as part of not only practical psychology in 2ndary school programs, but even in classes on history, literature, etc. We're just suggesting that the imagination be brought into the process, and the imagining also of situations, scenes, predicaments. Other techniques like doubling or "voice over," or "multiple ego" technique, can further bring out the often mixed feelings about something.
       Yesterday in conversation about a passing neurotic whim, I generated a "thought experiment psychodrama" in which I named several roles, gave words to each role, and discovered a sub-role within another role that, by naming and playing, I strengthened. It's as if I could see four parts of myself on stage, each representing a position, a vulnerable inner child, a stronger-"just ignore it" mild superego-like role, a mediator, and as a sub-part of the mediator, an affirmer of higher values---akin to what I call the meta-role function. 
       The point is that scenes and alternative positions can be enhanced with a dramatic frame added to imagination. 

     The other point is to help people to feel that they can engage this skill by themselves and use it in simple situations.

            Warmly, Adam
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: BARNETT WEISS 
  To: Adam Blatner  
  Cc: list at grouptalkweb.org 
  Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:42 PM
  Subject: Re: sourcequote


  Dear et al:
  In response to the following of Adam's comment:

  "I focus instead on building an infrastructure of concepts and skills hoping that, 
  for example, the skill of role reversing will be known, practiced, and become a social 
  norm before the end of this century, at least in dominant world cultures. I imagine scores 
  if not hundreds of such "building blocks" that would, in their aggregate, serve as a 
  foundation for authentic progress".

  I would comment that while there is no question that we have all seen how this capacity bo be able to sense the other is vital for decent caring human relationships, this method appears too slow and inefficient in comparison to others which are now available in my estimation even though it is ancient as in "Walk a mile in the other's mocasins before judging them." 

  When you see a group of people warmed up well by an experienced person doing constellation work, over the course of a few hours, people have actually moved in and out of several role dyads deeply involed in learning what it feels like to be stuck in the worst aspects of those dyads and then experience healing in them as well. 

  Role reversal seems to me to be a far more manipulated form and while there is a great deal of learning that can take place in that process especially when it is sought out or truly welcomed voluntarily by the protagonist or anyone really interested, it is often enforced on a less than willing protagonist in the pressure of the group situation. I do not dispute that even in the most coerced of situations like working with Gang menbers in the street or in prison, or a mental hospital, much learning can take place even with a coerced ( Shamed or challenged on the street) role reversal. There is no coersion at all the case when you are playing a role in someone's constellation. Anything that you feel or do is supported as part of what they have come to call the "Knowing Field." When utilized by a decent practitioner since the protagonist watches from the sidelines usually until the very end, they even have the opportunity to reject or allow in the possible insights coming from the person taking that particular role and further more process their own resistance if any to allowing that counter spontaneity to move them.  
  In some ways, this is similar to what Boal uses in his Rainbow of Desire which allows for so much more immediate participation and direct action learning by the audiance or in psychodrama where the protagonist watches or receives the actions and approaches of a number of people trying different ways of interacting with someone in the protagonists life with whom they are stuck or feel defeated by and then chooses one that seems to work and gets coaching in acting that way. This is basic role training at it's best and I think that constellation work utilizing some of this could become even more efficient; If recorded and distributed, it could be huge as is the case with well run broadly done psychodramas, sociodramas or other such were they recorded and distributed as life learning tools. 
  I'm working at it. 
  Blessings all, Bud
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