The World Can be Saved With Empathy

Despite being young and naive(or maybe due to it), I firmly believe the world we live in can be saved through the practice of empathy.

To be more precise, I believe practices of empathy trigger a reaction quite similar to the domino effect. A small practice of empathy towards others, such as a hug, a smile, or even a well-placed nod of the head, can vastly improve their emotional state and can inspire them to further carry on this behavior when they interact with others. Somedays, all one needs is a hug for no apparent reason, a smile from a stranger, or a simple acknowledgement when they speak, in order to make it through the day without having a complete mental breakdown.

However, empathy isn’t merely portrayed through our physical reaction towards someone. Empathy is also a mental reaction. Often, the best thing we can do for someone in pain is to listen, really listen, when they start to talk, and try to see the situation from their perspective. It is equally important to strive to not judge others when they are conveying their own beliefs to us. Apologizing, forgiving, listening, and having an open mind are seemingly small practices of empathy, which can greatly improve someone else’s mindset. These practices all allow someone to start to heal from whatever has been troubling them, as well as begin to move on with their lives.

Frankly, empathy is often a bit frustrating to practice in our lives. To choose to forgive rather than to hold a grudge can be excruciatingly difficult to do, and it requires a great deal of maturity to practice successfully. The days we are the most angry, and unforgiving, are the days we must attempt to practice empathy the most in our interactions with others, as well as in our own private thoughts.

Empathy can save the world if we, on a global scale, come to realize that one does not have to compromise convictions to be compassionate. To be empathetic does not mean to agree absolutely or implicitly with another’s actions or beliefs, rather it places oneself into the mind and situation of others in order to better understand their actions and beliefs--instead of only our own. Empathy makes us stronger as an individual person and as a people. While being empathetic costs us nothing, it is priceless nonetheless.