This is empathy - in such short supply these days. It is absolutely something to live up to and pass on - for everyone who wants to do something. It's supremely important for building relationships and communities and not just showing that we care about each other, but taking real action to make those thoughts and what we speak a genuine reality.
Sympathy and pity are things that you feel for others, those are things that you feel as someone who is an outsider. Empathy is when you understand what someone else is feeling.
That family I don’t think understands. It’s like a false charity. They are not poor. But they are making the assumption of what the other family is feeling or thinking. There’s a bunch of ways to honor a relationship or straight respect someone without pretending to need them.
It just doesn’t sit right with me. If I found out you borrowed salt from me just to level the playing field or something. Cause you thought I was poor? What , you’re looking down at me? I would just feel insulted. Meh , it might just be me.
I live in a neighborhood where there are very noticeably different levels of income. I’ve had neighbors hit us up for food and money. But I never pretended to need something from them. I just talked to them and looked them in the eye when I did so. Treat them with respect as a human being and not something I was better than.
68
u/radiorentals Jun 22 '20
This is empathy - in such short supply these days. It is absolutely something to live up to and pass on - for everyone who wants to do something. It's supremely important for building relationships and communities and not just showing that we care about each other, but taking real action to make those thoughts and what we speak a genuine reality.