Suffering. Are you Empathetic or Apathetic?
The world is filled with individuals who have experienced suffering in various forms.
Interestingly, their reactions to suffering can be broadly categorized into two distinct groups.
On one hand, there are those who, having endured hardship themselves, fervently declare:
"I never want anyone else to go through that."
On the other hand, some individuals, after having undergone suffering, adopt a disheartening stance proclaiming:
“I’ve suffered, and so should everyone else."
These two types of people represent the stark contrast between empathy and apathy, compassion and callousness, light and dark.
The Empathetic Response:
Root
- Empathy stems from personal suffering.
- Emotional connection drives the desire to alleviate others' pain.
Beliefs and Motivations
The empathetic individual selflessly strives to prevent others from enduring similar hardships.
Experiencing suffering fosters a deep understanding and fosters a desire for collective well-being.
Impact
The empathetic response promotes societal harmony and compassion.
Efforts towards advocacy, welfare, and support systems are initiated to uplift those in needs.
The Apathetic Response:
Impact:
- Bitterness and resentment fueled by personal suffering.
- Lack of empathy hampers the innate ability to understand others' pain.
Beliefs and Motivations
They adopt a selfish stance, viewing their own suffering as universal and justifiable.
The apathetic response stems from a distorted perspective that misguidedly values either:
- Equality through shared suffering.
- Revenge for their suffering on innocent bystanders to avoid the pain.
Impact of Apathy
Apathy fuels a cycle of suffering as empathy and support systems are shirked.
Societal divisions become more pronounced, hindering collaborative expansion and improvement, inducing only division and strife: (the very root of Sin), rooted in lies and abused by liars in High places.
Empathy is a powerful force that can positively impact our society, and as humans, we must understand and embrace it. Conversely, apathy is toxic to our psyche and spirit, leading to a lack of morality and blinding us to the needs of others. Over time, this can create a society of narcissistic and selfish individuals, which has unfortunately become the norm. Empathy is often misunderstood and even frowned upon, but it is a vital component of a healthy society. We must not allow it to be redefined or destroyed, as it is essential for growth and self-reflection. Just as narcissists fear their true selves, we must not be afraid to embrace empathy and the positive change it can bring.
