Lost to the pages of most history books, Empatheticus was a Greek philosopher who lived sometime between 400 – 300 B.C..  It is said that his teachings were ordered to be eradicated “by any means necessary from the four corners of the ancient Greek kingdom” by Alexander III (the Great), in order that “the commoner should not become predisposed to the power of Kings”.

The natural question is:  What the heck was he teaching?

Empatheticus had developed a set of principles that he called ‘Se Xegelasa’.  And he claimed that through the study and practice of these principles, any person would have the ability to advance their position in society, regardless of social strata or bloodline.

You can see why this would be worrisome to the ruling class.

Essentially, Se Xegelasa was a method of negotiation…more powerful than any that had been developed prior.  And the foundational principle was to force oneself to think not of the needs, wants and desires of his or herself, but to deliberately and solely consider those of others.

Empatheticus observed that when he approached any negotiation with the purposeful consideration of what the other party wanted or needed, something strange and fascinating happened.  When he did this, he most often received exactly what he wanted or needed.  He called this ‘alla matia’, or…loosely translated, ‘others eyes’.

Now…there was a ‘catch’.  He also noticed that when this deliberate desire to see through ‘others eyes’ was solely for his own gain…the principle failed.  But instead, when his efforts were rooted in a genuine desire to understand, and even to serve others needs…the principle was undeniable.

Empatheticus saw what others in the ancient world did not.  That when we seek to truly understand the motives, the purpose, the emotion and the needs of our opponent, our competitor, our fellow citizen…anyone with whom we wished to exert our influence, that the path to the outcome we desired would be revealed.  And further, when we sincerely sought to serve that motive, purpose and need, by seeing through ‘their eyes’ and by giving of ourselves, that the outcome itself would be inevitably delivered.

He taught this to peasants, and watched them negotiate their freedom.  He taught this to statesmen, and watched them rise through the political hierarchy.  He taught this to generals, and watched them defeat their opponents, even when outmatched.

Many years later, this principle of Se Xegelasa became known in philosophical, and eventually psychological circles as…Empathy.  The ability to understand the perspective of another.

After his writings were expunged from what was then the modern world, Empatheticus was put to death.  Those in power recognized that promoting an ‘empathetic’ approach to negotiations, to business, to warfare, to love and in fact to life, would also promote a sense of hope and empowerment and fulfillment that may give the common person, uncommon power.  And they recognized that this power was unlimited, with no social or economic barrier to access.

Empathy, as it has become known, is in fact a “superpower”.

When we see through others eyes, and understand their perspective…the path of our purpose will be revealed.  And when we genuinely seek to serve those whose perspective we’ve embraced…all that we desire will be delivered at our feet.

It is the power of perspective.  And it is the power of service.  It is the ultimate weapon of mass construction, in our businesses and in our lives…empathy.

Understand your competition.  Understand your customer.  Understand your acquaintances, and your loved ones.  Understand their motives and their needs and their desires.

Understand them, and then work to serve them.  In short…empathize.

This will promote a greater understanding, and reveal a path that contains more abundance that you probably imagined in the first place.

Consider this:  We often learn more by story and analogy, than we do by facts and accounts.  We often learn more by embracing the story, or perspective, of others.  There is something innate in human beings…our desire to empathize.  To understand.  And to relate that understanding to our own condition.

Consider this:  I believe this desire exists in you.  And by constructing this completely and utterly false “historical account”, I hope that I might serve your desire for understanding.  By making you think a bit more deeply about the superpower of Empathy.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.  If I have seen deeper than others, it is by seeing through the eyes of my fellow man.” – Empatheticus

 

 

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