What Is Empathy?

I am convinced that apathy is a result of a closed or underdeveloped mind and blatant hubris. It is actually quite easy to imagine how you would feel in a given situation; and as humans we often have similar reactions to events with obvious positive or negative contexts. It is obvious that someone would feel sad, lost, or depressed after losing a loved one. Although everyone handles these emotions in different ways, e.g. denial, oversleeping, taking unordinary risks, etc. the feeling of sorrow following the loss of a loved one is virtually universal.


It is a blessing to never have experienced the loss of someone close but we should be capable of imagining how painful and scary it would feel to never see our best friend again, or if our sibling passed away. Would you not feel lost? Never having lived without this person and suddenly having to carryon without them in their physical form? Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the situation and feelings of others; it gives you insight into what they are likely thinking and feeling by imagining how you would react in the same situation or by remembering how you felt when you went through the same (or similar) experience.

Maybe that kind of agony is unimaginable and if that's the case, that lets you know that the magnitude of such a loss can be so excruciating that the world as you know it ceases to exist. If you can't even imagine the pain it is likely because it would be the most insufferable thing you'd ever experienced because the people that came to your mind literally make you who you are. The loved ones that came to mind are what make life worth while and are such important pieces of you that the thought of not having them is like losing your world. That's the type of pain that is felt every second of the day by people all over the world. That's the type of pain the families of the victims you hear about in the news and on social are fighting to live through.


Sometimes the further away from us a circumstance may "seem" the more difficult it is to fathom how we would deal with those problems that we hope and sometimes expect to never happen to us. I think we should have even more concern and support for those who go through the unfathomable. And we should have empathy and more understanding when people around us go through common hardships. The power of empathy allows for peace and understanding on a global, local, and personal level.

It Doesn't Take Much Thought...

Universal Pain

Many of our actions affect those close to us, so we should allow empathy to influence action. Ask yourself: How would I feel if this happened to me? How would I feel if they did what I am contemplating doing? Parking so close to a car that the driver has no room to get in, recording someone without their permission, mindlessly neglecting to pay back the money you owe someone...If it were your car blocked in, or you being posted on some strangers social media, or your money that was owed, you wouldn't be pleased.

From small considerations like that to agreeing to give your number to the stranger that asked for it at the store when you are involved with someone, stop and think: how would I feel if what I am going to do was done to me? In this case, how would you feel if your partner was at the store alone and someone asked them for their number? Would you want them to give it to them or would you expect them to decline because they have you in their life? If you would do it and still expect them not to, you're a self-absorbed hypocrite. Thinking you have some kind of "pass" or exception to showing the basic respect you feel you deserve is narcissistic and implies that you and the person you are involved with are not equals.

If the action you are about to commit would evoke a negative response from you if it were done to you, then you probably should not do it. Stopping and taking those two seconds to think about how you would feel if the person affected by your actions did the same thing to you is empathy. You are taking the feelings of someone other than yourself into consideration because you know that the action(s) you are about to take will affect them. And yes, giving out your number would still affect your partner if they never found out about it. The breach of trust and the opportunity for infidelity is real whether they know yet or not. That would not be taking your partner into consideration at all, that is deception and is not an act of love or empathy in any way. And you would not want them to do that to you.

Conscious Decisions

Apathy is how boys and men with mothers and sisters they love are capable of mistreating other women in their life. And how women with brothers and positive male role models are capable of mistreating the good men in their lives. The same man that is ready to beat up the guy that broke his little sister's heart and made her cry for weeks goes on to mistreat his girlfriend or wife or any woman he's involved with as if she doesn't have people in her corner ready to fight for her too. If you wouldn't want your loved one to be treated with disrespect why would you do it to someone else's? The same woman who has little or big brothers that she cherishes and swears she would confront anyone to protect might go on to cheat on the good man in her life as if he isn't someone's brother or son... If you've seen what heartbreak can do or even survived it yourself why would you inflict that kind of pain on another person? The protective instinct you have over your family and loved ones is not unique to you. We all have people we love and care for and never want to see hurt. And most everyone you meet is that person to somebody.

If you saw an old lady fall would you go to help her? If that old lady was your grandma or your mom you would. And if you weren't there to help you would want somebody to. The same goes for the old lady that you've never met before, she may not be special to you but she is most likely special to someone. And just as you would they would hope someone would be kind enough to help. She may be someone's mom or grandma, sister or aunt... but even if she had no family at all, she's still a person who could use some help which is something we have all been and can understand.

You, Yours, Someone's

Boundaries

While empathy is an essential skill for love, compassion, and interpersonal interaction, it is not a reason to sacrifice your own needs or comfort to extend unrequested or excessive support or guidance to those we empathize with. This means that you can't help everyone with everything all the time. Empathy is meant to fuel compassion and understanding for others in a way that allows us to move with kindness and consideration. It is not meant to pressure us into heroism or evoke an overinflated sense of self-sacrificing duty to other people.
Just be kind❤

With Love,
Earth Deity