It’s a week after the United States presidential election, and tensions are still high. Emotions are running wild, and I’m sure you can feel it too—whether it’s a sense of relief, anger, fear, or even grief. The intensity of these emotions is like a tidal wave, washing over us all.
Some of us are breathing a little easier, maybe feeling vindicated or hopeful that things will change. Others feel betrayed, fearful, or uncertain about the future, wondering what the outcome will mean for the values they hold dear.
It’s not just the outcome itself, but the way we’re all feeling about it. Frustration, hope, despair, anxiety—these emotions are colliding in ways that amplify the division we already feel.
And let’s be honest: when emotions are this high, empathy can feel almost impossible. It’s hard to look past all the noise and really try to understand the other side.
But here’s the thing: I believe empathy is still possible. Even if it’s difficult. And even if we’re not ready for it just yet.
You don’t have to practice empathy right now if it feels too overwhelming—that’s okay. I get it. It’s okay to sit with your emotions for a moment.
But when you’re ready, I encourage you to take that small step toward empathy, even if it’s just a pause to consider why someone might see the world so differently.
You see, it’s easy to slip into black-and-white thinking in times like these. We can start seeing one side as completely wrong or even dangerous, and the other side as completely righteous. But labeling and generalizing, while it might feel comforting in the moment, just deepens the divide. It makes it harder to heal and harder to listen.
Empathy asks us to pause. It invites us to look beyond the labels and judgments and consider what’s driving someone’s beliefs—what fears, hopes, or experiences have shaped their perspective. And no, this doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, or even change your mind. It just means seeing them for who they are.
For me, the outcome of the election wasn’t what I hoped for. I felt sadness, confusion, even fear—especially after remembering the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020. I felt a deep sense of unease, recalling how my parents were scared to leave the house for fear of being attacked. Those emotions are real, and they matter.
But as I sit with them, I realize that if I want to contribute to healing this divide, I have to practice curiosity over judgment. I have to take a moment to understand more, rather than jumping to conclusions or labeling someone based on a single belief.
And, to be clear: this is not easy. It’s hard work. But it’s necessary if we want to build bridges instead of walls.
As an executive and leadership coach, I see this play out in my work all the time. Leaders who grow, who create teams that thrive, are the ones who learn to listen and practice empathy even in tough moments. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it.
So here’s my encouragement to you when you’re ready: start by practicing empathy, even if it feels impossible. It means choosing to listen, choosing to understand, and choosing to pause before judging.
This doesn’t mean we give up on our own beliefs. It doesn’t mean we ignore our feelings or our right to voice them. But it does mean that we take a step toward something greater—toward healing, understanding, and ultimately, unity.
An Action Step To Try:
Next time you catch yourself feeling frustrated or angry with someone whose views seem completely opposite to yours, take a moment to ask yourself, “What might have shaped their perspective? What values or experiences are driving their beliefs?”
You don’t have to have a conversation with them to do this. In fact, sometimes, trying to engage in a conversation when emotions are running high might only lead to frustration. But just thinking about it—reflecting on what they might have experienced in their life to form that view—can open the door to compassion.
This is where real healing begins: not with changing someone else’s mind, but with understanding them a little more, and in turn, understanding yourself better too.
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