Comparative Suffering (In the Time of COVID-19)
COMPARATIVE SUFFERING (IN THE TIME OF COVID-19)
Source: Brené Brown on Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth, and Settling the Ball | (Listen: 26 min)
Contributor: Selena Garcia
“EMOTIONS DO NOT GO AWAY BECAUSE WE SEND THEM A MESSAGE THAT—'HEY THESE FEELINGS ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND DON’T SCORE HIGH ENOUGH ON THE SUFFERING BOARD, PLEASE DELETE ALL FEELINGS RELATED TO THIS, YOU ARE NOT IN PAIN ENOUGH. THANK YOU.' THAT’S NOT THE WAY THIS WORKS.”
Listen to this short, quick and to the point interview where Brené breaks down how shame and empathy work. While the full podcast includes other great tools (her 50/50 Myth and Settling the Ball), the first portion is a great reminder of things to keep in mind if comparative suffering is something you (like so many of us), do.
“LET’S STOP RANKING SUFFERING. THERE’S ENOUGH LOVE AND EMPATHY TO GO AROUND. PUTTING OURSELVES DOWN BECAUSE WE’RE STRUGGLING, BUT HAVE IT SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHERS RIGHT NOW, CAN KILL OUR EMPATHY FOR OTHERS.”
(Start: 1:00)
“Unfortunately, one of the things that are immediately triggered when we go into fear and scarcity is comparison – comparison and 'who's got more, who's got it better, what are they doing?' What's crazy about comparison when it's triggered by fear and scarcity is that even our pain and our hurt are not immune to being assessed and ranked.”
Sometimes short and sweet is all you need to shift your perspective. Check it out in it’s entirety.
LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST, HERE: (26 min)
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