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[Reflect] Make connections: Thinking about perspective taking.

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One of the ways of developing empathy seems to be through “perspective taking,” which Bornstein calls “the cognitive dimension of empathy” (par. 8). Think about your own observation and personal experience with perspective taking. Your instructor may ask you to post your thoughts on a class discussion board or to discuss them with other students in class. Use the following suggestions to get started:

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Think of a situation in which you conflicted with someone, such as a sibling, parent, coworker, teacher, or classmate. Reflect on how you felt at the time of the conflict. Then put yourself in the position of the other person and try to imagine how he or she may have felt.
Consider the insights, if any, you gained from perspective taking in this case. Do you think perspective taking could help while in the middle of a conflict, or do you need distance to empathize with someone else’s point of view?

[Reflect] Make connections: Thinking about perspective taking.

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