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I wish everyone had the ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes and sympathize with struggles we know little or even nothing about.
Some people assume that the things they find easy to do should also be effortless for others, but this is not how life works. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, many of which are dealt with behind the scenes without most folks being aware of what is going on.
Reading and writing are easy for me, for example. For someone who has untreated dyslexia or another learning disability, they can be incredibly challenging.
Not to sound like a modern-day Pollyanna, but world would be a better place if there were more sympathy and encouragement in it.
Therefore, I am cheering all of you on with whatever you find difficult or may be quietly struggling with right now. I believe in you!
Empathy seems to be lacking in general in the world today, unfortunately.
Sad but true!
Especially when things involve physical ability, in an oblique way, or money.
One I’m mentioning because I would not have believed it was real in the US today, but it is: “Poor people can at least be clean.” Well, if you have plenty of hot water you don’t need as much soap as badly as many people think…dirt soaks off, given time…but in some of the new low-income housing projects, single people have to share bathrooms, and young women don’t want to be all soapy and showery when young men come in to use the toilet. I would not have made that up. I’ve not personally seen it, but I have it from a reliable source.
That makes total sense.
Agreed on this unfortunately. Related to what Priscilla said above, there’s a lot less empathy when it comes to those who are low-income or those who receive assistance – like for food stamps, some people will criticize a family receiving them when they get a birthday cake, like poor people don’t deserve to celebrate.
Maybe one day we’ll get to that point where there’s more empathy and understanding of others.
Yes, absolutely.
Lydia, this is such a great point. Our world would be a much better place if we all had some more empathy to extend towards each other. I’d like to see some more critical thinking and discussion being utilized in society – people are so quick to verbally (and physically) attack people who have different views from them, and I honestly think that if people were able to have actual discussions with people who hold different opinions, things could be so much more productive.
Thank you. And exactly.
I agree. In my day job I deal with people who are in problem debt, and I unfortunately have a few friends whose immediate assumption is that these people are idiots who just went mad with the credit cards. Having seen what can happen when someone gets divorced or suffers a bereavement, thereby wrecking their finances, it really annoys me when people can’t find their empathy.
That sounds really tough. I’m glad they have you to talk to in those moments.
I completely agree. Working in customer service has shown me how selfish and oblivious people can be.