What if Irony is Judging Others for Lacking Empathy?
Sometimes
we speak
as if we are
others.
“I am sad”
vs
“I am feeling sadness”
“I am a CEO”
vs
“I play the role of a CEO”
“I am fit”
vs
“I have a fit body”
Perhaps we speak this way
out of habit.
Perhaps we speak this way
when we hyper-empathize.
No matter the reason,
it’s worth creating
distinctions
and boundaries with them,
so we can empathize.
It can be hard
to validate others
when it seems as though
validating them
means
invalidating
ourselves.
It can be crucial
to ask yourself
whether it is true
that validating others
means
invalidating ourselves,
or
that we simply cannot see
the situation
in such a way
that validatings others
need not mean
invalidating
ourselves.
When we striggle
it’s not necessary a sign that we lack competence
it’s sometimes because we care so much
that we expect more than what we can offer