Now that we’ve all almost survived another Monday, I thought I’d take a moment for empathy.
Why empathy? In some ways Monday’s are an easy day for empathy given that odds are almost every one else is feeling the same way about the end of the week-end as you are.
And that shared emotion is quite an achievement according to science, which tells us that empathy is not a naturally occurring process for humans. We are selfish beings at heart. We are biologically wired to instinctively keep our own interests at heart.
I could draw comparisons between this fact and the goings-on in Washington, but it’s just too easy at this point.
Empathy must be practiced and nurtured. Much like compromise and productive discourse, you must work at it like you would at any job. Assuming that job doesn’t allow you to shut it down when you don’t get your way.
It’s not all sad and self-centered. When you think about it, the fact that we’ve evolved to place importance on an emotion that is counter-intuitive for our species says a lot about us. We want to be our best.
Finally, Dodger’s fans, I want you to know that I feel your pain, and will continue to as the St. Louis Cardinals
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TIME: Bunnies, Stinkbugs and Maggots: The Secrets of Empathy
…bi-daily smile…
