Empathy isn’t sympathy necessarily. It’s the ability to recognize the presence of an emotional state even if you don’t understand why it’s present or what caused it. A society, a country, a world cannot grow closer together if the parts that create it don’t come to recognize what makes it. Empathy is a great beginning to making that growth start.
“That’s not my problem.”
“Those aren’t my people”
“Why should I care?”
These are the thoughts that counteract the very action required to start to care. We should care because we are human and in many cases if we can replace the object of scrutiny with our own image we might begin to see why it matters.
But that’s hard to do for various reasons. It’s not an easy thing to take ourselves out of our own comfort zone and to force ourselves to be uncomfortable for a second. Sometimes that second is all it takes to learn a little bit of empathy.
To realize sometimes what’s really important in the moment isn’t always about ourselves.
-Opinionated Man
44.1
I don’t even know why it’s difficult to emphasize. We’re all human beings. If nothing else, we should just treat each other the way we would like to be treated.
LikeLike
Yes empathy is so important. A brief and yet meaningful post!
LikeLike
Empathy is a very difficult thing to enact. I can try to understand how another person/group feels about/sees things, but since I am not them it is near impossible to empathize with what they are going through. I don’t have their life experiences or ancestral history. The best I can do is to try to understand/sympathize with them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
From our conversations I have a feeling you empathize more than you let on. 🤔
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, more empathy please, less shame and disconnect👌
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s a hard thing to do, but maybe one day the world will get there as a whole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Empathy can always be leaned however sympathy cannot….
LikeLiked by 1 person
For some, they’ll never learn to empathize in this life unfortunately. They only see themselves and those like them. It’s a sad fact.
LikeLike
Pity there isn’t an empathy virus… we could sure use more of it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would finally be a good virus to have! Heh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some people probably wouldn’t get it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately, you’re right…
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the case of the narcissist, he is all for himself and his ego and only understands his needs from his own viewpoint. Empathy is not his strong suit for sure.
LikeLiked by 3 people
True and unfortunately many many people lack empathy, not just narcissistic humans. Even kind hearted ones lack empathy for those they cannot understand or relate to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well said Jason, very true. 💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Willow! Just some thoughts.
LikeLike
Excellent thoughts💜
LikeLiked by 1 person