Key points

Many of us remain struck in emotional cycles with others.

Cultivating indifference can help us generate empathy rather than friction.

Dogs offer a good model of reactivity vs. indifference.

As a new dog owner I’ve noticed two common dynamics when dogs meet each other on a walk. Some dogs will become either very excited or upset about the other dog and pull their owner towards the other dog or start barking and yapping. In the other response, a dog may take notice of the other dog, and then return to sniffing or observing phenomena on its own path.

Where the first dog is animated and reactive, the second dog is indifferent and non-plussed. It acknowledges the other dog but is not distracted or, more importantly, is not emotionally animated by the other dog.

To a dog owner,

See Full Page