You are who you are because, well, it is simply your life; it is all the experiences you’ve had and all the interactions you’ve made in the world. However, something we may not consider is that those experiences and interactions are stored in our unconscious and influence how we react and how we make decisions. This is often reflected in our interaction with others in the form of expectations and assumptions, since not knowing the mind of another can create internal anxiety.

There are times that we may empathize with others, although it is still through our own emotional experiences. One experience all human beings share is the one of emotions. We all feel the same physical experience of sadness, anger and joy. By tapping into our own emotions we can then truly empathize with anothers. This is not as easy as it sounds because many of us have been taught to push down or hide our emotions from others. Relationships seen through the analogy of a mirror can not only deepen our connection to ourselves but also result in a deeper experience and understanding of another.