If I had superpowers, I would transform myself into an invisible entity and travel into another person’s consciousness. I would tiptoe around. Examine. Investigate. Explore. I would audit the experiences. Scrutinize the memories. Survey the imbalances of neurotransmitters. I would identify, perhaps, the low levels of dopamine. Feel the effects. I would perceive the senses. Comprehend, first hand, how that scent of the campfire conducts the recollection and emotions of that cataclysmic night. If I had superpowers, I would adequately fathom the feelings of that person’s aura.

I do not have superpowers. Superpowers do not exist. At least not yet.

We are incapable of entering another person’s mind. We are incapable of feeling their feelings. We are incapable of understanding the intricacies of one’s emotions, the complexities behind each and every smile or tear. We are incapable of suffering someone else’s sufferings.

This serves as a brief, cliché reminder to help frame the week that stands ahead of you: we do not have super powers. You truly do not know what people are experiencing, for even understanding your own experiences is difficult at times.

So be kind. Be aware. Attempt to empathize, but do not assume that you holistically understand. It is the seemingly little insult that can force one into the depths of his depression, yet the simple positive conversation that can elevate his mood. Make each person feel acknowledged, feel loved, feel supported, for we will never understand what any other person is enduring.