I read an interesting article in the NY times online today Simulating Age 85, With Lessons on Offering Care by John Leland. He documented a “What it feels like to be older” program called Xtreme Aging. In essence, the program tries to create understanding and empathy in the participant for the elderly. There are any number of programs out there that attempt to foster emotional awareness. In example, I’ve seen elaborate “fat” suits, “pregnancy” suits, and even “homely disguises” (for beautiful women). In 1961, John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me tells of the white author’s journey through the racially segregated south disguised as a black man. All of this is to help us to understand how others feel and to be better able to show them the care and consideration they deserve. What if we all tried a little harder to try to understand those in our lives: our families, co-workers, customers, and even strangers? Listening and understanding is a powerful tool that can change lives. 

Best wishes, Mark

For more, a great book on E.I. is Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman.