A Blanket For The World: Empathy and Compassion

Empathy is defined as the ability to put yourself in the shoes of others and be able to view the situation and their feelings from their view. Meanwhile, compassion can be defined as a "sympathetic pity" for the difficult things that others may be going through.

As simple as they may sound, these words are often lacking in certain people. Some see it as a weakness, because why would you feel sorry for something bad that didn't happen to you, right? However, this mindset can be a roadway to misery and isolation, as empathy and compassion are traits that connects us to other human beings.

Though some people feel lower levels of empathy due to neurological reasons, what matters a lot is how people can approach the suffering of others through acts of mercy. It doesn't always have to be something that monumental or life-changing. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to feel as if their woes are shared and understood by another living, breathing human being that is going through life like they are.

"A problem shared is a problem halved"

This cannot be stressed enough especially for advocates, listeners, and professionals in the realm of mental health. We must offer a safe space full of empathy and compassion to others for the world can be a dark place full of uncertainty. The least (and sometimes best) we could do is to provide comfort to these people. 

For the reflection for this discussion, I would like to pose the question:

"Do you believe in the kindness of strangers? Why?"

This is to see if empathy and compassion is something that you believe strangers can provide to other people who they also see as strangers. It's also to reflect if you believe that these traits could be expressed by strangers in whatever scenario, as well as your optimism in humanity.

Thanks for reading. Always remember to be kind not only to other people but to yourself as well.