The Empathy Exams
"The Empathy Exams" by Leslie Jamison is a powerful collection of essays exploring the complexities of empathy through personal experiences and cultural critiques. Jamison examines her own struggles with pain and illness, as well as broader societal issues, to reflect on how empathy shapes our understanding of ourselves and others. The essays intertwine personal narrative with critical observation, revealing the intricate relationship between suffering and connection.
10 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from The Empathy Exams, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
The experience of pain is a universal one, but the way we understand it is inherently personal.
Empathy is not just about feeling for someone; it’s about feeling with them.
We need to learn how to listen to other people’s stories, and to let them change us.
Suffering is not a competition, but a shared human condition.
The act of empathy requires us to be vulnerable, to open ourselves to others’ pain.
In the end, we are all just trying to make sense of our own suffering.
To truly empathize, we must confront our own experiences with pain and loss.
The stories we tell ourselves shape the way we interact with the world.
Empathy can be a form of activism, a way to bring attention to the experiences of others.
Art can be a bridge to empathy, a means to understand lives we don’t live.