Entrepreneurial Mindset

Activity 1: Empathy Walk

Bipin Bansal Agarwal (15093)
PGP II Section A
Prof. Mukesh Sud

Entrepreneurial Mindset
Activity 1: Empathy Walk

Assignment for Reflection after Activity 1

1. Describe the experience you undertook.
I, as a student, under the course Entrepreneurial Mindset, was a part of
the activity Empathy Walk. It did sound a bit confusing when we were
introduced to the activity and I wondered as to how can an activity like
this be related to having an entrepreneurial mindset. Wondering this, I
went through a document that the professor had sent us. It started
making things clear. It mentioned that empathy plays a very important
role in both development and validation of an idea. Entrepreneurs need to
be empathetic to the people and surroundings.
The experience was an eye opening experience. I went with a mindset
that was completely changed by the time I returned. As soon as I entered
the BPA complex, I saw many blind people in the campus walking around
and taking part in day-to-day activities. As I went further, I was asked to
buy a ticket, and I was surprised to see that most of the staff members
were also blind. After a brief round of instructions, I and other members in
the group were taken in for the walk. It was a pitch-dark room, where the
only source of light was the CCTV camera. We started with the temple. We
were asked to identify the idols there by touching them and it was
difficult. I was given an idol of Lord Vishnu and I could not identify it. I was
surprised that I have seen this idol a hundreds of times and still I was not
able to identify it. Next, we went on to walk to a village with bullock carts,
wells, cows etc. Other activities that were a part of empathy walk were
cinema hall, a park, crossing a river bridge, a marketplace and a

restaurant. The whole experience gave me the first hand idea of how blind
people feel in their daily life experiences and what are the difficulties they
face. Though I knew that this is going to last for me for only about 30
minutes and I had my friends and instructors and me as well, I felt afraid
of walking in the dark, hitting something etc. This really was an exercise
where I could actually relate to blind people and which turned sympathy
into empathy.
2. Describe your feelings during the experience?
It was an experience with mixed feelings. Starting with being someone
who was confused with the whole purpose and importance of the activity
to being someone who felt that this was a great learning experience, the
journey was great. It was an eye opener. In the start, when I entered the
dark room, I took time to adjust to the surroundings. People around me
were confused and scared about what was happening. We were walking
into each other. But, as the activity progressed, we actually got into the
role and started experiencing what blind people experience in their daily
life. I felt that though I had friends and the instructor giving me directions,
it was too difficult to comprehend and do the activity. There was an inbuilt
feeling of fear about hitting something or someone while walking. The
exercise completely shifted the feeling rom sympathetic to empathetic.
3. What came in your way in being empathetic?
There were a few factors that came in the way of me being completely
empathetic. Though I experienced and felt like a blind person, but it was
for a very short time. One factor was my mindset. I knew that it would end
in 30 minutes. I knew I was safe because I had people and trained
instructors with me. CCTV cameras were installed around me to monitor
the activities, which is not something a blind person has around him every
time. Hence, I could not exactly get in the shoes of the affected person.

Other than that, members in the group knew each other well and there
was a jolly environment during the activity, this being the first time that
we were experiencing something of this kind. Also, knowing that a report
needs to be submitted, people were conscious when doing the activity
trying to remember everything being done, rather than experiencing the
activity.
4. How do you shift feeling empathetic from feeling pity or
compassion or helplessness?
Rightly mentioned, I used to feel pity and helpless before the activity. But
the activity was a complete transforming process. Right from the time,
when the instructor, who was blind himself, started giving us instructions,
I could understand the problems of a blind person in more detail. But, I
was not yet empathetic. When the activity started and I placed my first
foot in that pitch-dark room, I knew something was about to change. I was
actually feeling helpless about myself. I had to rely on the person in front
of me, who I knew was blind himself at the moment. It was just an
assurance that someone was with me and around me. The voice of the
instructor was assuring that I am not running into any danger. All the
activities that formed a part of this like the temple, the village, the hall
gave a first hand experience of how a blind person feels and what are the
difficulties he/she faces. I realized that what I knew or thought of about
the problems was almost nothing. I also realized that it is a common
human tendency to not just pity the pitiful, feel sympathetic about them
but do nothing about it. No one actually cares until and unless someone
experiences stuff. After coming out of that room in the light again, I
realized that I was a changed person, at least towards the blind people.
The greatest gift of vision had been taken away from them. I knew how
lucky I was feeling about being able to enjoy the luxury of sight. I also felt

a strong feeling about doing something to help the blind people. The best
I could do then was contributing a small amount to the organization and
spend some time with people there, talking to them. I think the whole
activity transformed me from feeling helpless and pity to someone who
was empathetic now. The title of the activity was totally justified.