Blog #1 - Empathy Map

About The Person

Caleb Bates is my brother who is 2 years younger than me. He is currently a sophomore at Texas Tech University, studying agricultural economics. Though Caleb is apart of my family and we are close in age, we do have a very different segmentation profile. Our different personas center around life stage distinctions. As Caleb is beginning his search for personal identity and career possibilities, I'm wrapping up that stage of my life and moving on. Throughout this blog I included my personal assumptions prior to our interview, supported by quotes from Caleb that i gathered during our follow-up interview. There are few people that know him better than I do and this exercise has truly helped me gain empathy for our differences. 

 

What He Thinks and Feels

Caleb lives a fairly private life, keeping his personal thoughts and feelings to himself most of the time. He truly values simple life and the art of contentment. To him, being happy is what really counts. Caleb aspires to be just like our dad, Floyd Bates, who lives a very fulfilling and satisfying life. He has few worries, but one is loneliness. In our interview he said, “I don’t really care about what people think of me, I just do what I enjoy.” 

  

What He Sees

Caleb is an extreme right-wing Republican. Having been raised on the farm and in church, he has acquired a conservative view of the world and the environment we live in. When it comes to friendships he values quality over quantity. He said, “I would rather have just a couple close friends, rather many friends that I only know on a surface level.”

What He Does

As alluded to in a previous section, Caleb is a man of few words. When it comes to his behavior, he is often misunderstood. Due to the fact that he stays relativity quiet in public, Caleb is often perceived as shy. His fraternity inspired clothing tends to automatically categorize him within the greek stereotype.  Caleb strives to live by the golden rule, quoting “I want to treat others the same way that I would want to be treated.” 

 

What He Hears

If I were to describe my brother's character, the two traits that stand out are determination and hard working. After interviewing him, it turned out that this is what others think of him as well. First off, I think the word “determined” is used too loosely today. It tends to be one of those default characteristics that we pin upon ourselves to make us look more marketable, but in reality very few people have raw determination. Caleb is one of those people that once his mind is set on something, it's going to be accomplished. Whether it is school, work, or a hobby that he has, my brother is one of the most determined people that I know and he is out to disprove peoples misinterpretations of him. “Bosses and mentors say that I’m a hard worker and that is something I pride myself in,” he said.

  

His Pain Points

“My biggest fear is not knowing my own self,” said Caleb. He is currently trying to find his personal identity and what he wants to do with his life, which is a fearful process for him. Caleb often gets frustrated with himself and the personal decisions that he makes. Growing up in the church, he has always been surrounded with faith principles. In college, he has found spirituality to be an obstacle as he continues to try and adjust to the new lifestyle and environment.

  

His Hopes To Gain

Though Caleb is still trying to find his calling in life, he does have high aspirations for himself. “At the end of the day I want to feel loved,” he said. Caleb’s needs in life, include money and women. Consequently, his love for money and women will also be his biggest obstacles to success. He measures success on his level of happiness, which correlates back to his desire for contentment. At the end of the day, family will always be one of the most important parts of Caleb’s life.