Feeling Into
The saying “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” conveys a need for empathy. Feeling Into expresses my expanded interpretation of this metaphor for human connection that reflects how empathizing with others requires conscious effort and commitment, while simultaneously recognizing that individuals will never be able to completely know or understand another person. The interaction between these two ideas is familiar, yet strangely paradoxical. Feeling Into explores the paradox of empathy; the basis for this theory is that individual perspective makes complete understanding of another person impossible, despite the fact that relating and connecting with others is an essential part of the human experience. The paradox is that it can’t be proven that another person doesn’t experience true empathy just as much as it can’t be proven that they do.
These images are of my own feet, which I use to metaphorically represent my individual perspective. As viewers interact with these images and interpret them through a subjective perspective, their meaning changes due to misunderstanding and recontextualization. The donated shoes of family members, friends, and acquaintances come together to represent the variety of perspectives in my life which I struggle to comprehend. Limited view of other perspectives is both what drives and cripples connection making.
Feeling Into visually exhibits my experience of attempting to empathize with others. Humans are social creatures that are incapable of understanding each other beyond outwardly relatable elements, in this case, shoes. Allowing feelings of disconnection to be an isolating force, creates a detrimental cycle of self absorption. It’s crucial to question and challenge feelings of loneliness, giving remarkable power to the choice of empathizing and seeking connections despite infinite unknowns.
“the irony of loneliness is we all feel it at the same time”
- the sun and her flowers by rupi kaur