Empathy and emotional intelligence for socio-emotional sustainability. From theory to practice

Abstract

The work aims to identify proposals for sustainability based on the promotion of the emotional-affective-empathic dimensions, a vehicle for personal and social well-being, capable of supporting other ways of sustainability in all fields. The category of sustainability is in fact strongly linked to the responsibility and the ability to identify with the other, a trait that mostly develops within balanced personalities, that have the ability to able to understand the needs of themselves and others and to harmonize them in micro and macroprocesses of collaborations, essential for the survival of the planet. The planning of human activities is not self-centered: freedom, intelligence, affectivity, sociability, corporeality, intentionality, are deployed drawing on social and cultural values respectful of human and environmental nature. Wisdom, health, maturity are connected to a dimension that coincides with the conquest of a social sense intended as empathy, affection, donation. Intersubjectivity as a communication platform must be created from the very first life experiences, starting from the education of emotional intelligence at the basis of self-respect, respect for others and for the environment. The work describes these dimensions showing how they can be developed through suitable educational paths.