“Even though you’re performing something, you open yourself up to other people and other actors and other worlds. You are connecting to this emotion inside of you,” he says. “The most important tool that you have as an actor is empathy. Not just for your character. Unless you’re connected with that other person and truly listening and truly engaged with them, the scene falls flat. It doesn’t work.
“I remember when I was a young man, if there were certain people that were role models — particularly male role models — and if they were open and empathetic to me, it was like a gift ... when I got into acting, everyone was so open and everyone talked about feelings and it wasn’t a bad thing. It was actually empowering.
In schools these days there is no shortage of initiatives on wellbeing and resilience. These topics form a central part of the junior cycle in second-level schools. So is there really a need — or even space — in a crowded curriculum for empathy education? Murphy, who agreed to become patron for the centre, says he was initially unsure how to define empathy, or how to locate it in a practical way in his life. Slowly, he says, he began to realise that empathy was a fundamental part of his job as an actor — and as a dad.
“With the tone of debating in both countries it seems that you can say anything. We talk about [tackling] bullying or being hurtful, but it seems that anything goes now in the political forum. You can say whatever you want. It hasn’t gotten that way in Ireland. And I think that’s a good thing.” Dolan’s team at University of Galway has been rolling out empathy education in more than 100 secondary schools, youth club settings and Garda diversion projects for a few years. Activating Social Empathy is a 12-week programme specifically designed for post-primary school students.
For all its positive findings, empathy has its share of critics. Yale-based psychologist Paul Bloom, in his book Against Empathy, argues that empathy can be a poor moral guide. He points to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 when 20 children and six adults were killed. The public response, he argues, was empathetic but misguided: warehouses were filled with donated but useless soft toys.
Seriously !!!! 🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
Catholic Ireland teaches conformity.
The people of Ireland are as diverse in every facet of life as any other nation on earth. Fear is also a pretty big emotion 🤫
And also as opposed to who exactly?
Such an untrue generalisation.
Any old 'bull' being used as an opportunity for self publicity~ aided by a so called journalist who is looking to justify his salary!😁
On the other hand, Irish people are not afraid of overgeneralising
This is pure bull.
Absolutely right, an observation from an expert and the main reason why passive aggression is such an irish thing! That and begrudgery are the two great failings and why as a society the irish display such stunted emotional growth!
Irish people enrage emotion the best in the world? Also his pesky blinders gig, he essentially shows no emotion other than anger. Amazing performance tho… but how dare you skate Irish people fornot embracing emotion.
Empathy at schools? Let’s start with ableist uniform policies. Good luck Cillian, you know how the song goes, “Catholic school, as vicious as Roman rule.”
No they’re not! This is so upsetting!
No we’re not.
That is such a sweeping generalisation