Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“[A]cting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories.”
—Actress Emma Watson, speaking about receiving the MTV award for best actor in a movie (Buzzfeed.com)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
imagine what someone else’s life is like; understand someone who is different from oneself
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Have you ever met someone who was very different from you? Maybe, it was someone whose personality was the opposite of yours, or perhaps, it was someone from another culture or another country. It can be hard to understand someone who is different. In order to truly understand someone, you need to think about their background, their experiences, and their thoughts and feelings. You need to truly put yourself in their shoes.
If you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you try to understand who they are as a person. For example, if your friend’s parents are divorced, you might try to imagine how it feels to only have one parent. If you meet someone with less money than you, you might think about the things you have that they can’t afford. If you meet someone from another country, you might imagine what it would be like to grow up in a culture that is different from yours. If people all around the world put themselves in each other’s shoes, maybe, we could all understand each other better.
Emma Watson thinks that acting awards should be given based on how well someone can put themselves in someone else’s shoes. If an actor can imagine what it’s like to be someone else, they can play that role very well.
Would you like to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? If so, whose shoes would you like to try?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“Before you get mad at your friend, put yourself in her shoes. She didn’t mean to spill coffee on your dress!”
“I know you feel like you don’t have a lot of money, but put yourself in my shoes. I don’t even have a job!”
“If you don’t understand someone’s culture, don’t be afraid of them. Try to put yourself in their shoes.”