Do an experiment – do not empathize with people. I mean try this, when you are talking to someone or listening to someone just do not empathize. Just listen as if the other person is talking to a stone.Be completely disinterested. Than once the person is through with his/her blabbering just reflect, reflect that the person is/was in this mood or that mood. Continue doing this experiment for few other people. You would realize that this other people or persons are in some mood. You are just “a third party” “an observer”. In some time you would realize that people fall in different mood segments. Our mood changes and therefore we move from one segments to other.
I was doing this research on relationship between Indian Classical Music and Yoga. In that research I came across music therapy and color system’s relations with it. Each color reflects a different emotion, Ragas do the same. Each Swar of Indian classical Music is associated with a Chakra in human body. These chakra’s have an associated color too. This research made me connect a couple of things. Approach note here. Ragas are called Colors of life that is emotions.
Each color reflect an emotion, each one of us reflects an emotion. When you observe people disinterestedly (here I have called it without empathy) you would observe people are reflecting a particular emotion or color.
Now look back – before that person came to you, were things different? Things were same – air was flowing, sun was shining, perhaps it is/was raining, birds chirping. The nature did not differentiate before that person came to you and after that. It is only you who (if empathize with other person) change your mood. Observe around you the world is same whatever you think, feel or do. That is being consistent (in Hindi – eksar). Related blog – Swasthay – dwelling in oneself.
We are like a Prism. A “consistent” sunlight falls on it and it scatter the color components of sunlight.
We also scatter our mood in surrounding. Otherwise place (space) is consistent. The color can be a rage – red color or a serenity – blue color. We should strive to be a “combination Prism” which reflect light without scattering it. (Image source)
I say – be empathetic but do not get rundown by the emotions of others. That would be being Swasthay – dwelling in oneself.
Disclaimer –
1. The Author does not endorse “being non-empathetic”. The author is trying to make a point “assuming” if we do not empathize for this experimental purpose we would be able to understand that nature does not change if we are in one mood or the other. Nature is consistent with itself (as Sunlight). We are the Prism which reflect particular color of the consistent sunlight.
2. Most importantly – author does not preach and does not believe he is someone who should preach.