putting yourself in someone elses shoes

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how do you do this? many people do this to get money from you to help others, but what i dont get is how you would feel how they would, to move you to a point of giving. and it just doesnt involve money. but anything really. i think you should give reguardless of seeing poor kids in africa and such. whats the deal

Putting yourself in someone else's shoes means empathy.

Helping them as result of that understanding is called sympathy.

Sympathy is a direct result of empathy. The reality is the amount of money raised from non-empathetic people likely would not buy hungry kids in Africa the salt to sprinkle on their food much less the food itself.

I don't wear other people's shoes. It's gross! I even have my own bowling shoes.

I literally do it every day! My brother gave me a pair of old, blue canvas Vans years ago, and I still wear them. They were old when he gave them to me, even older now, but they're in excellent condition. I suck at choosing shoes so this was a godsend for me. These are incredible. The best shoes I've ever had. I'll wear them to my grave. So comfy. Not a speck on them. They must be... Magic Shoes...

I saw a good example on TV of an organisation using a 'put yourself in someone
else's shoes' situation.
It showed a scene supposed to be from a girls' soccer match in the US with parents
and friends watching from the sidelines and everyone enjoying themselves
on a nice sunny day.Suddenly there's an explosion in the middle of the pitch and some girls are injured.
This was an appeal from a landmine charity,using this scene to bring home how we
would feel if this type of danger existed in our everyday lives. In some countries
like Bosnia the danger DOES exist everyday.
Of course,people can and do give to charity without necessarily having to feel such a
strong sense of empathy and their money is no less important than people who are
able to empathise.
On a lighter note,this reminds me of an amusing take - 'Put yourself in someone
else's shoes'. By the time they notice their shoes are missing you'll have half an
hour's start on them and they won't be able to run after you.

I do this... it turns out to be an effective way for me to earn one's respect.