Becoming Invisible: Homeless For a Day

Using extreme empathy to understand food disparity, lessons from being homeless for one day

Pic by Andy Jacob

I’m working on a project to solve the food-divide in the US. Some people purchase portions they’ll never get to finish, while others struggle to get any food at all. My research fell short though. Talking to different food players and doing empathy research wasn’t enough. Then an idea came to mind. What if instead of simply talking to people in need, I experienced how they lived? What if instead of trying to be empathetic, I really put myself in their shoes?

The more I discussed the idea with family, colleagues, and myself, the crazier it seemed. Why go to that extreme if there are easier and less risky ways to learn? Deep in my heart, I knew that my most insightful perspectives have always come after experiencing challenging situations. The more scared and uncomfortable I felt, the more I realized it was the way to go.

Not Another Social Experiment

I’ve come across many great experiments on people’s reaction and indifference towards homeless individuals. I wanted my exp…