Month: December 2019

On Sacrifice

Posted on by Seung Chan Lim 0

When we
hyper-empathize,
the distinctions and boundaries
between “self”
and “other”
vanish.

So when we feel
the “other”—
be it a person,
a thing,
or an idea—
is in danger,
it feels as if we
are in danger.

This makes it natural
for us to throw ourselves
onto incoming traffic
to save the lives
of such
an other.

To us,
this does not feel
like a sacrifice.

It merely feels
as if it’s a universal
human
reflex.

So much so
that sometimes
we think the other
would have done the same
for us.

Whether or not
that is true
is beside
the point.

Starting with the “Other”

Posted on by Seung Chan Lim 0

Within what we call
our “self.”
there are many
“others.”

“Others,”
we aren’t fully aware.

“Others,”
we don’t fully understand.

“Others,”
we don’t fully appreciate.

I often hear people say
empathy
is about the “other.”

If so,
may our pursuit of empathy
begin
with the recognition
that our understanding of empathy
will become more clear
as the separation between “self” and “other”
becomes less clear.

Alone Time

Posted on by Seung Chan Lim 0

We often say
we need
“alone time,”
when what we mean
is we need
“connection time.”

A time,
when we can feel connected
to nature,
to an imaginary character,
to a singer who seems to understand
what we’re going through,
to our thoughts and emotions
through an author
who is willing to help us
reflect.

Am I Doing Enough?

Posted on by Seung Chan Lim 0

When it feels
as if we’re not doing enough,
a useful question to ask
can be
“From whom do I need recognition
or validation?”

Often times,
what makes something “​enough”​
is not what we do,
but knowing how certain people feel
about what we do.

It can sometimes be difficult
to admit
that we need recognition
or validation.

But we all need it
from time to time.

Opposite vs Perpendicular

Posted on by Seung Chan Lim 0

Sometimes,
we pit two concepts
as opposites,
when, in fact,
they are perpendicular.

For example,
if we pit
honesty and kindness
as opposites,
we may feel forced
to choose either or.

But if we pit them
as perpendiculars,
we can aim
to learn a new choice
with which to do both
at the same time.