EMPATHY IN THE PARADIGM OF LINGUISTIC CONFLICTOLOGY

Abstract

This article is devoted to the consideration of empathy as a driving mechanism in the formation of non-conflict speech interaction. The current state of development of linguistics is indicated by an increased interest in the means of establishing interpersonal relationships of speakers in the process of communicative interaction, to the ways to overcome conflicts in communication. Recently, the science has actively been developing a thesis of empathy as a complex phenomenon, which includes cognitive (thinking operations, actual knowledge), affective (emotional reactions), conotative (behavioral manifestations) components. Such an interpretation of empathy emphasizes its dynamic character, which is consistently manifested in phases of empathic understanding, empathetic expression and empathetic communication. The attention to the role of empathy in communication enables its study in linguistic conflictology, since empathy is associated with the ability to understand another person, to penetrate their problems, empotional experiences and joy, which represents the essence of empathy as an integral part of the emotional competence of personality and characterizes human behavior in a society. Empathy as a comprehensive cognitive-affective phenomenon, consisting of emotional sensitivity, penetrating into the sensual world, the ability to identify the emotional state of another person based on their emotional and social experience, characterized by the following parameters: emotional, cognitive, social, communicative and pragmatic.
Communication does not always occur in a positive plane. In the process of speech interaction, there are difficulties causing conflict communication. The presence of empathy helps not to allow conflict communication, on the contrary, it directs to harmonization, forming empathetic cooperation. However, if the speaker does not reveal his emotional competence, does not find adequate verbal and non-verbal means of expression of empathy, there are communicative difficulties that can lead to conflict interaction. Discoursive empathy expression strategies belong to the discharge of harmonizing, as they significantly reduce the psychological distance between communicative positions, normalize the emotional state of the addressee, prevent the emergence of conflict, overcome conflict communication.