I recently read that Barack Obama said this on the topic of deficits:
”...There’s a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit — the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes; to see the world through those who are different from us — the child who’s hungry, the laid-off steelworker, the immigrant woman cleaning your dorm room.”
Thank goodness! When my husband and I first started our Look To The Stars project, we sent letters off to celebrities asking what they thought was the biggest problem in the world. I realized that I should have some sort of answer to the question as well, and after much detailed thought, realized that the answer was so simple… the biggest problem in the world is a lack of empathy.
If a genie were to appear before me and offer one wish, I would wish, without any changes to the way I am, to be the third least empathic person in the world. I don’t cry upon seeing adverts about the poor children in Africa (unless I am pregnant, that is), but I do go out of my way to help people who look lost, try to make sure I am not inconveniencing anyone around me and I would never dream of causing anyone harm or pain. This is partly because my parents raised me well, and partly because I clearly feel what others are feeling.
If everyone felt at least the level of empathy as you, the readers of this post, and I feel, so many of the world’s problems would just disappear. How can you rob someone if you feel the loss that you are causing, or rape someone if you feel the pain and desolation it causes?
When you are in disagreement with someone, it is so much easier to come to a happy level of compromise if you can feel and understand their side of the issue, and they can feel and understand yours. With truly empathic leaders around the world, there would be no need for senseless wars. With truly empathic people, everyone who needs help would get it, and we would enter a cycle of growing joy across the planet.
So, how do we go about raising the levels of empathy in the world? Any ideas?
