Gear_Up_Prework.md

Gear Up Pre-Work

1. What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?

   I actually love the concept of practicsing/developing empathy in everyday life, because it's a very mindful practice. I feel like I am always trying to be mindful in everyday life, not only about what it is I'm doing, but also how I'm affecting or interacting with others. When I'm not being actively mindful, I feel like I have been acting like a zombie, or someone who is sleep-walking, losing precious time from my finite life. Practising empathy for others is a crucial element here, because if you neglect feeling for others, you become really lonely and isolated.

2. How does empathy help you build better software?

   From the article "The Surprising (and Non-Technical) Skill You Need to Succeed in Tech" by Anne Spalding, empathy can help you better interact with your team. She says that "Empathy is the pathway to better communication, and the combination of logical and emotional skills is the key to more effective environments for all." Not only is this true in general, but especially when you work on any team and especially if that team's work involves difficult or confusing tasks. Failing to account for how others are feeling will only lead to roadblocks.

   Also, in "Why Is Empathy Essential for Design," Mathieu Turpault talks about how empathetic listening makes you a better designer. When you can emotionally connect and care for others, you not only begin to feel more committed to them, you also begin to better understand the problems. With these motivations, you are driven to find the solutions that they need and can account for those needs in your programs.

3. Why is empathy important for working on a team?

   In a nutshell, empathy is important when working on a team because your team will be made up of humans. Each individual will have their own thoughts, feelings, inputs, needs, desires, etc. When you fail to account for this, you are likely to overlook them, miscommunicate, and cause tension between team members. It's also important to keep a certain perspective about your work with others: your work is designed for others, so trampling others in pursuit of that work is backwards thinking.

4. Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.

   I went to school for philsophy and often discussions can get bogged down, considering that theories are complex, details are very technical, and everyone interprets things in their own way. For this reason, I am a fan of "cognitive empathy" as described by Daniel Goleman in his discussion on "Three Kinds of Empathy." Cognitive empathy comes in handy in these situations because, instead of just barreling over someone or being stubborn in your own views, I can take on their perspective to better understand where they're coming from, why they're saying what they're saying, and where our differences may arise. This process is so much more efficient and often leads to a better, more fulfilling discussions than the alternative. It also offers new insights for both parties involved, since new perspectives are brough about by synthesizing multiple points of view.

5. When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?

   It is most difficult to be empathetic when another person is not extending the same feeling towards you. When someone else is needlessly stubborn or ill-intentioned, making an empathetic connection with them seems one-sided and draining. I think it takes a lot of practice to stay neutral in these scenarios. Perhaps it also takes a lot of time and ongoing engagment with this kind of person in order to break through their tough shell, although keeping some distance in order not to drain your own energy is likely required at times.