Empathy

Empathy is the greatest virtue a human can have. Genuine empathy, not an emulation of the behavior it engenders, while frustrating and burdensome, is so valuable to our world.

I often hear my fellow Americans complaining that the people in this country are stupid. When I try to suggest that most countries aren't much better, they are quick to proclaim that it's just us Americans, that no other country is as stupid (regardless of whether or not they've ever actually been to another country).

20% of people in England think it takes one month for the Earth to complete a revolution around the sun (it takes a year, in case you don't know). It's not just us. Look at our average IQ scores. We're well above average.

Still, the majority doesn't accept the theory of evolution, so how smart can we really be? We might as well not accept the theory of gravity. That's about empathy too, or the lack of it, which is apathy. It's just so much easier to say, “God did it.”

France has an 85% voter turnout. The United States? 43%, and sometimes as low as 20%. Now, that's the percentage of people who actually show up and vote on Election Day, let alone actually pay attention to anything, ask questions and think critically.

A genuinely empathetic person cannot settle for simple, superficial, feel-good answers. No, an empathetic person is compelled to analyze, to find the truth, to make fact-based decisions, regardless of consolation.

I remember not that long ago hearing the common sentiment that, “If only everyone was just a little bit nicer to each other, think how much better the world would be.” I'd laugh to myself, and think how idealistic and naïve that mentality was. Granted, I perceived those people to be talking about trivial things such as politeness, which they probably were, but I failed to see how obviously true that idea is. Assuming the standard that the less pain there is, the better, then aiding each other would inexorably improve the world, as far as human actions are concerned.

The issues in America that are most important to me—in no particular order, the environment, health care (health), equality, poverty, etc.—all boil down to selfishness. People would rather convince themselves the Earth is going to be just fine, that “only God can end the Earth”, than take a serious look at the evidence. They'd rather not focus on the obstacles that the less fortunate face. They'd rather save that time for later and use it for themselves. It's not that Americans are stupid. It's that they're apathetic.

With all the wonderful ideas of forms of government, nothing will improve America, or the world, the way empathy can.