Lately I keep reading about school violence. Young people who mercilessly start fights that in many cases end badly, with someone in hospital or worse.
In my childhood there were also some youngsters who abused the younger ones, but the situation has escalated a lot in recent years; and what amazes me most is the passivity that sometimes exists among the people who witness it. They are more concerned with recording it on their mobile phones than intervening to prevent a tragedy.
A few weeks ago, I heard Meryl Streep talk about empathy and its importance, in whatever field. Could it be, or is it just me, that we are slowly losing it? And in any case, why is that? We relate to many people, we share more than ever -we have multiple means to do so- and yet, proportionally and inversely, we distance ourselves, we isolate ourselves and end up caring less about others.
It is sad to see society moving in this direction. That is why, when the opportunity arises, I try to do what I can to help the new generations understand how important empathy is. It is, by all accounts, the engine of our development as individuals and as a society. Empathy. Please, let us not lose it. Let’s not.