Blog – New York Times Article: April 4, 2009

A school, in fact many schools in the U.S. take aim at diminishing mean spirited behaviour by teaching students “Empathy”, that is, identifying with how a person can feel put down, insulted, embarrassed and/or left out by another person’s actions. This is not sympathy, which suggests that a person feel sorry for another, but rather empathy which translates better into “walk a mile in my shoes, and then we can talk about judging”. This is one of the hardest behaviour traits to teach, because it requires an ethic of care for a fellow human being. It also requires a person being able to put themselves in another person’s shoes, a person who has been treated with less than the dignity they deserve. 
 

Bullying requires only a couple of traits from the bully, but these traits are very specialized. A bully needs  intention, as well as the ability to hold some kind of power play over others. It’s the power piece that is so fascinating.   It is a well known fact that not everyone has what it takes to be a bully. Remember that bullying is about power and control. Only children, youth and adults that have power over others in some way have what it take to be a bully. When fear is the power, it is really hard to tackle. How do you stop being afraid of someone else. But when popularity, looks, ability, social position or some other positively recognized trait is the power, it is shameful that those that possess the magic use it to their own advantage.  And if you think about it, is seems doubly sad that those with the power choose to use it to degrade or belittle another person. It seems so cruel, doesn’t it? Well, the time has gone where bad manners can be excused by bad habits. There is nowhere in the world where it would be socially acceptable to call someone a retard or a moron. Each of us, including all children youth and adults, should be held to a higher expectation of making the world a better place. It really is about saving our social environment.   We could even take the bold step to say that our concern for the physical environment must include the social environment. So when we hold events and special days such as Earth Day to be sure we are taking care of the environment, besides taking care of our earth, we should be asked to make a statement about how we will take care of ourselves and others. 

Be kind to other people.
Be kind to the earth.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Recommit to the message. 
Wear your pink shirts and say NO again, to bullying. Bullying Stops Here.

Stop using excess power. Don’t leave it on, don’t walk away from the light.
Stop cyber bullying. Don’t hit the send button, don’t pass the message on.
 

So where does empathy fit with taking care of the Earth? The emotion of empathy works from personal experience to personal experience, person to person. So if we can’t have empathy for the Earth, then surely we can have empathy for people who have to drink the dirty water because others poison it. If we can’t have empathy for the Earth, surely we can have empathy for people who die younger because of the environment they live in. If we take care of the Earth, then we take care of the people. It’s one of the first steps towards being kind. It could work. It’s not that big a stretch. It would grow each of the movements. We should think seriously about doing this. Share the care. 

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