Empathy Circles with the 16 Guidelines
with Janna Weiss

In this series of Empathy Circles with the 16 Guidelines, we will explore the first Wisdom Theme: How We Think, and its four Guidelines: Humility, Patience, Contentment, and Joy at the success of others / Delight. Empathy Circles are an opportunity to practice and strengthen our active listening “empathy muscle” in an “empathy gym.” During the reflective listening practice, we not only discuss the Guidelines, but also embody and experience the Guidelines firsthand. Both the 16 Guidelines and the Empathy Circle help grow and deepen our appreciation of our common humanity, essential for cultivating genuine happiness, and beneficial social action and harmony. 

The first four Guidelines, Humility, Patience, Contentment, and Joy at the success of others, are direct antidotes to our main afflictive minds: pride and self-centeredness that arise from our mistaken, exaggerated view of self; anger and hatred; craving and greed; envy and jealousy. Janna will introduce each session with excerpts from the 16 Guidelines for Life: The Basics (included in the Conversations That Matter free resource), quotes, and suggested topic questions, or you can share whatever is alive in you. When it’s your turn to speak, whatever is on your heart and mind is always welcome in an Empathy Circle. Join any session—or all five!

Empathy Circles were created by Edwin Rutsch, founder and director of The Empathy Center, and are based on the work of psychologist Carl Rogers. The 16 Guidelines are a modern adaptation of the timeless 16 human values that 7th century Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo laid out in a short text. The king’s 16 universal human values were influential in transforming Tibetan society from a warlike, violent society to a peaceful and compassionate one. Empathy Circles with the 16 Guidelines combine these two meaningful and heart-opening practices. 

The Empathy Circle practice is the most effective gateway practice for learning, practicing, and deepening listening and empathy skills, as well as nurturing an empathic way of being. The Empathy Circle provides a structured dialogue process where each person feels fully heard, fostering mutual understanding and connection. The Empathy Circle practice not only hones empathy but also fosters a range of valuable skills, such as communication and conflict management skills, making it a powerful tool for personal growth, conflict resolution, and meaningful dialogue.

The four core values of the Empathy Circle are empathy, mutuality, openness, and care. Sharing our experiences and practicing listening together can help us feel connected to others in a meaningful and supportive way. These Online Empathy Circles are for people of all ages, backgrounds and ideas, who are looking for practical tools to create positive transformation in their homes, individual lives, relationships, community, or workplace.

Please come on time and plan on staying for the full 1.5 hours. Thank you! It’s helpful (but not essential) to review How To Take Part in a Basic Empathy Circle prior to participating in an Empathy Circle. Janna recommends watching the 9-minute “How To” video.