Sympathetic Imagination

Sympathetic Imagination is the ability to see to see things in a different perspective without you going through the situation yourself. It is said, that as humans we have the ability to distinguish ideas from right and wrong, but most importantly make the right choices. Also, have that sense of heart and feel emotions with the ideas we perceive in our minds. For example, if we use our imagination we can believe and picture anything the way we want to see it. We, as humans have the ability to show emotions personally. Through emotions we can depict and take actions towards something we feel a connection to. Humane would be considered a characteristic a human being might obtain. For example, humanity is the “disposition to treat humans and animals with consideration and compassion, and to relieve their distress; humankind”. (419B) As human beings, we have the intuition to comprehend at times when things go wrong or when someone shows happiness. 

For example, in The Odyssey, Homer the dog has some of the abilities to understand what his owner was feeling. Animals such as dogs have the ability to sense the emotions that went through his “best friend”.  For example, when homer said, “before he knew or dreamed of us, and the way we would change his life—to change your life, to steer it, turn it…Dogs know this” ( Anthology 427) I use my sympathetic imagination sometimes to perceive my ideas I have that feeling when a friend is feeling. For example, when I saw Earthlings , I cried.  I imagine myself in their place and as I thought of it, I couldn’t help myself, but to feel miserable. I asked myself, What’s going to happen to my family? Why me? To experience pain and happy moments  I had to use my sympathetic imagination. Since then on, I try to help out animals or anyone in need, but first think it as myself going through the same situation.

 Resource:

Anthology


Images:

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