Empathy

In high school I read The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Through the lenses of several veterans from the Vietnam War and their testimonies, O’Brien conveyed the idea that truth and memory are merely a mirage. Of course, there are a select few absolute truths in the worlds of math and science, but everything else can be thrown out as subjective. As time passes, memories fade, and therefore so does the truth. Empathy isn’t just being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, but the ability to see through different perspectives and understand the validity of each individual’s personal truth. Empathy can’t exactly be defined as either natural or learned, but is a mixture of both. Achieving the level of connection that we truly desire would not be possible without the empathy that we learn from the companionship of society, family, and relationships as a whole.

To some degree, all that we do serves a purpose to others. Through anonymity, we can express our true desires. In the podcast, it is mentioned that empathy can be good or bad, and that in some instances, isolation can change our levels of empathy. Typically, the occupancy of others is what drives us to be better people. When in a shared space and time, we find ourselves seeking outwardly more often than inwardly. Those who find themselves along often believe in the notion of native realism, while those who are more inclined to the company of others are exposed to different experiences and parallelly to different perspectives, Through this, we learn to accept the differences of others and being to understand that our differences are not only natural, but beneficial. Through empathy and our desire to connect with others, it becomes possible to create mutualistic relationships where both participants satisfy, learn, and grow with one another.{/center}