I understand Kevin Spacey is controversial - this is not a newsletter about him.
However, I recently listened to Spacey’s wide-ranging (and perhaps controversial) interview with Lex Friedman. In that discussion, Spacey talks about the power of playing a character
“I absolutely believe that wandering around in someone else’s ideas, in someone else’s clothes, in someone else’s shoes teaches you enormous empathy.”
Humans struggle to empathize with one another.
Empathy, according to Merriam-Webster, is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another.
In most of my work with family businesses and family offices, one of the (biggest) barriers to family alignment (whether around the next CEO or a billion-dollar carve-out) is empathy. Win-wins within a family are based on understanding the mindset, motivations, and fears of other family members. However, getting to a win-win is extremely difficult if empathy is lacking.
Maybe it would be helpful for you or a family member to explore the art of acting.
Imagine vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of your mom, dad, brother, sister, uncle, or aunt.
If your family is stuck, step into character for a moment and see what it feels like to wander around in someone else’s ideas, clothes, and shoes. See what it can teach you; and challenge others to do the same.
"I’m curious about other people. That’s the essence of my acting. I’m interested in what it would be like to be you."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Meryl Streep</span>
"Acting is not about being famous, it’s about exploring the human soul."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80">~ Annette Bening</span>
"The exciting part of acting, I don’t know how else to explain it, are those moments when you surprise yourself."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Tom Cruise</span>
