Could it be that these intelligent people who demonstrate empathy come from an environment where a good education was provided from childhood?
I sincerely believe that we are all influenced by our parents from an early age. For example, if they were selfish, we'll be selfish too, if they were kind to everyone, we'll be kind to everyone.
When we're children, our environment is crucial: it's what makes us what we'll become. Our young brain feeds on what it sees and hears. We don't understand everything, even though we only want to feel good. I doubt that emotions and feelings were part of the scenery.
Our whole life will be affected by the environment and education we receive. So why not seriously consider these assets when it's our turn to raise our children?
The word empathy contains the word "pathia", which means what we feel. It's our duty to remember this important factor in our lives and in the lives of others. I sometimes wonder how I can be happy if my fellow human beings aren't? And here's a word from an anonymous author I've just discovered: "Let empathy and compassion always keep your heart open to the miseries of others.
Before concluding this exercise, I'd like to note a few rather interesting words: It is only through self-effacement that we can, through empathy, perceive the reality of the other. This is by Jean Pierre Otte. Buddha had a rather clever moment: Put yourself in other people's shoes. If you can do that, you'll no longer be able to do harm to others. And finally, from Agnes Ledig: Empathy is reaching out to the person in the hole, not jumping in to help them get back up.
In conclusion, I can say that empathy is more lasting and more precious than romantic love, and that it is a vital component of our humanity.
