Empathy Map

 

I have known this person, who from now on I will refer to as Legolas, for about a decade now. Our friendship was really strong at one point early on, but we drifted away for quite some time. Fast-forward to now we have a somewhat new friendship that stands somewhere in between the two extremes at which we've been in the past. I think that he preoccupies himself with thoughts of what others think. In smaller circles surrounded by people who we have known for years, he is freer. However, when it comes to new friends or acquaintances, Legolas is more reserved and thinks twice before doing anything would be deemed silly or slightly embarrassing. He puts too much weight on others’ opinions of him. I say that he puts too much weight on others' opinions, because I don’t put much weight on what other people think of me. On this note, he thinks that what really counts is the appearance that you put forth out to the world. This form of thinking can be good in a sense since he’s working hard and striving towards achieving great success. On the other hand, it can be viewed negatively because ultimately he’s not working hard for himself but rather for others. His biggest worries are dependent on the assumptions of others. I think that he feels pressure from others that is really stemmed from his own insecurities. 

 

Legolas sees an environment that is obsessed with what you possess. Things are validation of your success to attain them. His friends offer a great support system. He has seen his fair share of trials and tribulations, but he has been able to grow a lot throughout the years and really identify the kind of person he is. He’s found individuals who understand him better and share more of his common interests. Legolas truly values his friendships and is willing to get himself in questionable situations to help friends out. He’s sees the market as an open field of things that he can have once he achieves success. 

 

In public, as mentioned, he tends to stay a bit reserved. He won’t do anything that others will judge him on. Legolas has a clean and “good guy” appearance on a daily basis. He will also try to be nice and approachable with new people. Generally, he doesn’t want others to think of him with a negative light.

He hears everything that others have to say, both the positive and the negative. As mentioned, he puts a lot of weight into other opinions especially those of people who are in higher positions than he is. Legolas wants to have the respect of those that he surrounds himself with and for this reason he takes their opinions to heart. However, when it regards other topics he is very closed-minded to others opinions. His beliefs are strong and sometimes give him an air of arrogance. 

Legolas is not one to let others see his weaknesses. He wants to portray someone that is seemingly going through life without having any major trials and tribulations. For this reason I’m not sure what he fears or what he has been through that would cause pain. The one event that comes to mind is not mine to retell. I will say that instead of dealing with issues he tends to suppress them. I’m unaware of him dealing with his issues on his own which is eventually going to hurt him, I think. Once he reaches a breaking point, it won’t be a pretty situation. 

Legolas wants to have as many things as he can get. He measures his level of success by what others can see and deem as being successful. Although throughout the years he has accumulated quite a bit of debt, he doesn’t see that as a great obstacle and takes it on as a form of motivation. He is prepared to enter the workforce and strive towards having financial stability. His biggest obstacle is managing all that he has taken on and prioritizing all the things that really matter. Because he does really value the relationships that he has built throughout the years, he often holds others’ needs before his own. He's an amazing friend that will always be by your side.