The Need for Empathy
Over the last few years there seems to be an exponential increase in the amount of misery and despair discussed among everyday Americans…
Over the last few years there seems to be an exponential increase in the amount of misery and despair discussed among everyday Americans. Much of this is due to the shattered illusion of the safety and comfort of American democracy. For many people, their own sense of privilege have made them immune to the plight of people that have always known that the US is not the shining city upon a hill that many Americans believed it to be.
For the poor, for Immigrants, Women, for African Americans, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ, the US has been a place immune to their pleas for equity, opportunity, and help. Sure, we have made amazing strides since the days of slavery and Jim Crow, but what progress we have made has been under constant attack, and since 2016 the regression of progress made has been prominent.
The root of the regression, and the ignorance towards the plight of people who are our friends and neighbors lies with a lack of empathy, and it is this lack of empathy that is expanding. Whether it is people showing up to parties in Black Face, wearing confederate or nazi garb, or the refusal to change the name of a football team, this is all tied to a lack of regard for the feelings and suffering of people out of our sphere of influence.
The fact is, if we were able to put ourselves in other people's shoes a little more we would be able to avoid all sorts of problems. Anti-vaxxers would realize how absolutely devastating their actions are to those who are immunocompromised. Upper middle class white people would generally understand the horrors that come with the police being called on African American men, women, and children. We wouldn’t make callous statements towards people that “don’t look” american, further reminding them that they will never truly integrate with White america.
We would realize that the actions we take now, will affect generations to come. The refusal of many people to accept the climate crisis for what it is will lead to the suffering of billions in the decades to come. Men would realize that it’s not ok to control, belittle, and assault women. There are hundreds of other examples that I could list that show the distinct lack of empathy. For many of the people in marginalized communities, the only time they see empathy from the politicians and general public is when they need something from them. Votes, money, or some other form of support are the only reasons these islands of empathy are ever breached. This leads to a distinct lack of trust among communities, and to further lack of empathy among people.
The good news is that we can change this pattern of behavior. We can hold our elected employees accountable for their lack of action on critical issues. We can teach our communities that it is essential to be empathetic towards others, especially if they differ from us greatly. Empathy should not be seen as a weakness, but as a strength. It is those with empathy that can organize and gather strength from different communities. Empathy is what can be used to fight hate and fear, and it is what will save our world.