Empathy
I went past Starbucks the other day and I noticed that 19 of the 22 or so tables were occupied by a single person ... working their laptop or talking on their mobile: everyone alone but publicly so.In our world Starbucks or public places are not a place to socialize or meet people. I believe that we in the West are losing our ability and hard-fought skills to engage.
Certainly, as witnessed by the dearth of common courtesy or even the acknowledgement of others, our capacity to empathize is weak. Granted, we are busy and distracted and there seems to be no natural places where empathy can foster. We are driven by the need to produce and we count the score that way. A person who works his head (and heart) off is considered a good citizen and person on the rise. Joie de Vivre be damned. But we are losing the essential benefits of communication. We do not feel in touch with those we don’t know and in fact treat them with suspicion. Much wiser men than I have said that to know differences is to understand differences.
I'm tired of looking into the dead eyes of island dwellers. I am tired of being invisible and being discouraged from animating the forces of this life; the sweet interchange between friend or stranger. I believe that salvation for ourselves rests in our reaching out to others. It is “Us” that is our balm and our shoulder for support when we face life's problems. "Us" is the conduit of essential information, an exhilarating creative resource, the birth of tolerance and an aid in the dissolution of bigotry ... as well as the magic stuff that spawns the celebration of life. Bangkok is a favourite for me. In Bangkok everyone eats together, morning noon and night: with friends, colleagues and strangers.
They share bowls and big plates of fantastic food. It is the essence of community. To me Thais are arguably the most nurturing and empathetic people in the world. If I think about getting a spoon or an additional glass of tea, they feel it and I am helped as a brother. They are empathetic by nature and this nature is realized through the tradition of sharing.
