The best way to get to know a person is to walk a mile in his shoes. This famous saying illustrates that it is hard to know a person and their situation, until you have taken a step back from your life and viewed their perspective. This is often better said than done, a few reasons being emotions can get the best of people in certain situations, stubbornness and the refusal to see any other way but their own, or they have absolutely no emotion to cope with others’ perspectives. This would also be considered empathy or the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The book Practical Wisdom brings to light what effect empathy has on situations and how they are handled. Taking on the perspective of another person or group can present
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Many of these stories are ordinary people that have a normal routine or job, and they experience a moment in their life when they react with a differing perspective. Schwartz and Sharpe present a story about Luke, a custodian at a hospital, who was confronted by a father for not cleaning his son’s room. Before Luke argued or reacted in a poor manner, he thought of how the father was feeling, viewed his perspective, and cleaned the room again. Knowing the father was frustrated and struggling with his emotions of his son, Luke was patient and wanted to help resolve some of the father’s pain. He took extra work and time from his schedule to make the father feel more comfortable (Schwartz & Sharpe …show more content…
Judge Lois Forer had a “’case that appeared routine,’…’a typical offender: young, black, and male, a high-school dropout without a job’…’No doubt that he was guilty’” (Schwartz & Sharpe 17). The defendant, Michael, robbed a taxi for $50 wielding a toy gun. The minimum sentence was two years, but this was Michael’s first offense and the situation of his life was complicated. Recently unemployed and depended upon for his family, Judge Forer “deviated from the guidelines” and sentenced less than half of the recommended sentence (Schwartz & Sharpe 18). Again, Judge Forer was able to view through Michael’s perspective and his life to decide his fate. All three of the stories mentioned that Practical Wisdom displays are very evident on whether or not viewing a perspective can change the outcome of a choice or decision that must be made. In the first and third story, Luke and Judge Forer both changed their perspective’s and the end result was greater; however, in the second story, the lawyer and his friend could not see the perspective of the defendant. This end result could have come out better if they both could have taken more time before reacting to the
Many of these stories are ordinary people that have a normal routine or job, and they experience a moment in their life when they react with a differing perspective. Schwartz and Sharpe present a story about Luke, a custodian at a hospital, who was confronted by a father for not cleaning his son’s room. Before Luke argued or reacted in a poor manner, he thought of how the father was feeling, viewed his perspective, and cleaned the room again. Knowing the father was frustrated and struggling with his emotions of his son, Luke was patient and wanted to help resolve some of the father’s pain. He took extra work and time from his schedule to make the father feel more comfortable (Schwartz & Sharpe …show more content…
Judge Lois Forer had a “’case that appeared routine,’…’a typical offender: young, black, and male, a high-school dropout without a job’…’No doubt that he was guilty’” (Schwartz & Sharpe 17). The defendant, Michael, robbed a taxi for $50 wielding a toy gun. The minimum sentence was two years, but this was Michael’s first offense and the situation of his life was complicated. Recently unemployed and depended upon for his family, Judge Forer “deviated from the guidelines” and sentenced less than half of the recommended sentence (Schwartz & Sharpe 18). Again, Judge Forer was able to view through Michael’s perspective and his life to decide his fate. All three of the stories mentioned that Practical Wisdom displays are very evident on whether or not viewing a perspective can change the outcome of a choice or decision that must be made. In the first and third story, Luke and Judge Forer both changed their perspective’s and the end result was greater; however, in the second story, the lawyer and his friend could not see the perspective of the defendant. This end result could have come out better if they both could have taken more time before reacting to the