We are living in a nation that is deeply divided and there is no one to blame but ourselves. Current events have many of us asking questions such as, “How did we get here?” and “Why did this happen?” No one wants to accept the responsibility, but we have all played a part in the current state of our country. We should not view present civil conflicts as phenomena, but as the natural progression resulting from generations of bitterness.
The truth is, we have always been divided on one level or another. For every group fighting for freedom, there has predictably been another seeking to silence them. This is not a uniquely American narrative. Throughout history, every person asking for a level ground to stand on has been met with resistance. Humanity has a tendency to identify any break in homogeny and attempt to snuff it out or control it. Despite the pervasiveness of this tendency of ours, I am optimistic that we can change if we truly try. What America needs now is the same thing it has always needed and never quite achieved: Empathy.
Empathy is not a difficult concept to grasp. Scholars and religious leaders have been advocating its value for centuries; however, most of us have not taken these messages to heart. Without becoming bogged down in an overly long definition, the meaning of empathy is easily explained through the usage of old adages. Surely you’ve tried to “walk a mile in another’s shoes” or “see through another’s eyes.” To be empathetic does not mean that you must agree with the choices or lifestyle of the person whose eyes you are attempting to see through. At its most basic philosophical level, to be empathetic means to recognize that we all possess our own unique conflicts, heartaches, fears, and dreams. All of these qualities are singularly affixed to each person; however, we have the capacity to reach beyond the scope of our daily reality in order to appreciate other perspectives.
Times like these require love, empathy, and compassion. Too often we become so engrossed with our own narratives that we forget what it might be like to live under entirely different circumstances. We judge quickly and harshly when someone acts differently than we would ourselves. We sling labels: slut, addict, alien, etc. Somehow, at our core, it makes us feel good to be above someone else. This is not something we can deny. At one point or another, we have judged someone or used a negative label and, perhaps without recognizing it, we felt as if we were somehow better than the person we were commenting on. This is human, and this is dangerous. When stereotypical ideas about another group of people are common, it is poisonous. It leads to bullying, discrimination, suicide, and genocide. It breeds hate without reason. Then, maybe we do this because it is easier to be angry than it is to be compassionate.
The state of our country and the world keeps me awake at night. I have thought long and hard over what we did to get here and what we might do to change the current climate. The solution I have arrived at is not an easy answer. America needs empathy, but is it possible? Is it possible for us to stop policing the morals of others while never turning a mirror on ourselves? Our stories are all different. Each reality is vastly different from the next. The only way America will begin to heal itself is if we recognize that there is not one correct way to live. The only thing we should expect to be standard is kindness.
I implore you to see the world with fresh eyes. Learn a new perspective. Understand that the world is not set in shades of black and white. Sit down and have a calm conversation with someone who lives a life completely different from you. Until we make an earnest effort to have these conversations and gain these perspectives, nothing will change.
