What if Irony is Judging Others for Lacking Empathy?
“I thought
that all my problems would be solved
…
once I raised enough
money.” he said.
…
“I thought
that all my problems would be solved
…
once I hired enough
experts.” he continued.
…
“I thought
that all my problems would be solved
…
once I achieved enough
annual revenue.” he let out a sigh.
“I have no more excuses.
All this time,
I have been lying to myself.”
he remarked.
“It’s OK.
We all lie to ourselves
from time
to time.
More is not enough
Less is not lack
People are not rejecting us
They don’t want to sacrifice
for their time
money
or whatever else they have.
They are not our enemy
They are merely people taking responsibility for themselves
Some say
realizing empathy
requires
imagination
Sure.
But perhaps more importantly,
realizing empathy
develops
our imagination.
As we age
we may realize
that what we once considered
“old“
is “young”,
while what we once considered
“young”
is younger.
Our parents
can have the best of intentions
and yet
hurt us
in unimaginable ways.
Our
“What just happened?”
I asked the founder,
noticing his facial muscles
and shoulders
relax.
“I just realized
I don’t have to force myself
to change
to be the kind of person
who takes
responsibility.”
he responded.
There are at least
3 types
of progress
Forward movement.
Shift in direction.
and Greater clarity.
The first,
is the most obvious.
The second,
may require,
perhaps ironically,
setbacks,
but pays off in dividends
in the grand scheme of things.
The third,
may introduce,
perhaps ironically,
setbacks
or retreats,
because when it is foggy,
the only way to gain clarity
is to move forward,
even if we know
it is the wrong
direction.
In a system
boundaries
are temporary
and require constant
management.
We try to blame others
hoping that
the boundaries
will become permanent
but it will never happen
Some books
are written
to argue
right
vs
wrong.
Those who resonate with the argument
loves
the book.
Those who do not
hate it.
The missed opportunity is
integrating both sides
and drawing a more whole picture
so people can choose
depending
on context.