Empathy seems to me to be an essential human quality in a society that claims to be concerned about human rights and that considers itself to be based on humanism. Empathy, if we examine what Google has entered in its search engine, is “the ability to understand and share the emotions of others. It allows us to see things from the point of view of others, rather than our own. It is an essential quality that promotes social and professional relationships, develops self-awareness and contributes to a fairer world”.
If we want to live in a society that cares about the different groups that make it up, the individuals that are grouped together, in a society marked by cooperation more than by competition, in a society whose leaders try to attenuate social tensions , empathy should be valued. A society seen as humanistic presupposes a commitment by all parties to this end. But are we heading there, towards a society that values empathy? I confess that I do not believe it and I find it deeply sad. On the contrary, we live more and more in a deeply individualistic society, where everyone is concerned about their own fate, their advantages without really thinking about the fate of their relatives, neighbors, etc.
The more we “forget” empathy, the more we head towards a society marked by insensitivity and coldness. People who lack empathy find it difficult to put themselves in the shoes of others and even only consider a utilitarian function to their relationships with others. Recent events, such as the health crisis, have deeply marked human relations in our societies, the rules put in place making it difficult or even impossible to have real relationships, often even with loved ones.
I would hope that we bequeath an empathetic society to the generation that follows us rather than an individualistic society that does not really care about the fate of others. In my eyes, empathy is a plus both for people, but also for society.
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