Philosophy EthicsHow My Choices Make Other People Feel
Philo the friendly owl sits on a low branch in a sunny playground, watching two children share a swing while another child waits and smiles hopefully nearby.
- Identify at least two feelings an action can cause in another person.
- Predict how a kind action — like sharing — makes someone feel.
- Predict how an unkind action — like grabbing — makes someone feel.
- Tell why noticing someone's feelings helps us choose what to do.
Key terms
- feeling
- Something you feel inside, like happy, sad, scared, or excited.
- empathy
- Noticing and caring about how another person is feeling inside.
- consequence
- What happens to someone else because of something you chose to do.
- kind action
- Something you do that helps another person feel good or safe.
- pause
- Taking a short moment to stop and look before you act.
Actions Change Feelings
Every action you take can change how someone else feels inside. A friendly action like sharing or offering a seat can lift someone up and make them feel happy and included. An unkind action like grabbing or pushing can bring someone down and make them feel sad, angry, or scared. Your hands and words have real power over how the people around you feel.
Reading Faces And Bodies
People show their feelings in clues you can learn to notice. A wide smile usually means happy, while tears or a wobbly mouth often mean sad. Crossed arms or a shaky voice can mean someone feels upset or scared. No single clue is perfect, so look at the whole person — their face, body, and voice together — to make a good guess about how they feel.
Pause, Then Choose
Before you act, you can take a tiny pause and look at the other person. Asking yourself 'How might this make them feel?' gives your brain a moment to imagine their feelings. Once you notice how they feel, you can pick the choice that helps them feel good instead of bad. That small pause is the secret behind being kind.
Worked examples
Should I knock down my friend's tower for fun?
- First, imagine how my friend feels after working hard to build the tall tower.
- Next, picture their face if I suddenly knock it down — likely sad or upset.
- Then ask: would I want someone to wreck something I worked hard on?
Answer: I should not knock it down, because it would make my friend feel sad, and I would not want that done to me.
My classmate is sitting alone at lunch. What helps?
- Notice the clue: sitting alone with a quiet face can mean feeling lonely.
- Think about what would make a lonely person feel better.
- Choose an action that includes them, like inviting them to sit with you.
Answer: Saying 'You can sit with us!' is kind, because it turns a lonely feeling into a happy, included one.
Activity
Look at each action card and drag it to the feeling it causes.
Practice
Describe one action that could make a sad friend feel happier today.
Name one face clue and one body clue that show someone feels upset.
Common mistakes to avoid
- My actions only affect meYour actions also change how other people feel, so they reach beyond just you.
- Wide eyes always mean scaredWide eyes can mean scared, but also surprised or amazed, so check other clues too.
Check your understanding
You share your book with a classmate who does not have one. How will your classmate most likely feel?
Your friend is building a block tower. You knock it down on purpose. How will your friend most likely feel?
Before you do something, why is it a good idea to look at the other person's face and body?
Recap
Everything you do can change how someone else feels, and faces and bodies give clues about those feelings. Taking a tiny pause to notice how a person feels helps you choose the kind action that makes them feel good.
Reflect
How does it feel when you notice that something you did made a friend smile?