Empathy is hard. Nobody truly knows what another person is going through. We can’t fully know a person’s past. We can’t fully know what a person is going through at home and what events have shaped their view of the world.
Yet, empathy is so crucial because it gives us a moment to consider the other person isn’t exactly like you. Otherwise, it is tempting to write off a person. If we don’t consider the other person’s point of view, we can think they’re being unreasonable and silly.
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.
Proverbs 14:10
No person is truly like me. I come from a small hometown. Only three other people grew up in the same household as me. None of them went to the same college, lived in the same places and worked at the same workplaces. Nobody else has had the same lovely wife and kids. My life and experiences are unique, and so are yours. So how can I expect you to see things exactly the way I do?
Empathy is difficult. But it is so key in getting a glimpse of how the other person sees and reacts to the world.
