Someone else’s shoes I’ve often heard people talk about the importance of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. The idea is that you can imagine how that other person is feeling — or will feel — and, in that way, you can figure out what you should say to or do for that person.
It’s a good practice in theory. It offers us the opportunity to step outside of ourselves and fully consider the wants and needs of someone else separate from us.
But here’s the rub: Unless you know someone exceptionally well — in fact, even if you do know someone exceptionally well — putting yourself in their shoes can be really hard, maybe impossible, to do.