Empathy

"Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of another person, often described as "walking in someone else’s shoes". It is a critical, teachable skill comprising cognitive (perspective-taking), emotional (feeling with), and compassionate components that foster relationships, reduce prejudice, and improve emotional regulation."

It is what Froebel perhaps had in mind as he was inventing Kindergarten. How do you share those feelings, perspectives and experiences of another person unless you have been introduced to them. The illustration of Froebel's song about the charcoal maker comes to mind. Its is from his book Mutter - und Kose-Lieder translated in English as "Mother Play," which is directed toward German mothers to help them become their child's first teacher. 

At the top left is a drawing of a hand gesture with the child's hands forming the shape of the Charcoal maker's hut. The charcoal maker when he came to town would have been a stranger to most children and frightening to some degree, being covered with soot as he sold his filthy wares. The song and illustration showed the mother and child that the charcoal maker, strange as he might be, was an important member of community life. The blacksmith working at his forge and the mother feeding her child, warmed by the fire were evidence that the child might understand and take to heart.

So, here we are at war, when we might have chosen our leaders to have empathy instead and built bridges of understanding. It's what we should have learned in Kindergarten.