You are not Alone: Teaching Emotional Intelligence through Classical Chinese Literature
Meow Hui Goh, The Ohio State University
“You are not alone. Call XXX-XXX-XXXX for help.” These were the words emblazoned on the signs hastily duct-taped to the walls of campus garages after a student jumped off the top level of a campus garage at my university. Since COVID-19 struck, there have been repeated reports about the deterioration of Americans’ mental wellness, not only among youth, but across all age groups and backgrounds. If the lack of mental wellness can feel like alienation from one’s own self, problems such as racism and xenophobia, which have also been exacerbated by COVID-19, arise in part from the feeling that others are alien. In this context, I will share my experience of using classical Chinese literature as a familiarizing strategy in the classroom. This pedagogy, which centers on performance and embodiment, is a practice in understanding, acceptance, and non-judgment, both of one’s self, and others.