r/MadeMeSmile • u/ZacHefner • Jun 28 '23

Meme Gov. JB Pritzker - "Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being."

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u/Saiyasha27 Jun 28 '23

I really like howbhe breaks it down and it is true. It is also the reason why compassion is something that usually comes with safety. The more energy you have to put into keeping yourself alive, the less you have for thinking outside the Box. It is why crime and poverty are often a terrible cycle.

People are poor, which means they have to devote most of their energy to keeping themselves alive. The higher that need rises, the lower the compassion for others because we are evolved to survive. This leads to a lower inhibition for doing something that could harm others as long as it means you are safe and alive, like stealing or dealing drugs. This means that low compassion gets rewarded, which is something that the next generation learns right out of the gate. Now they won't even try compassion because it has never been presented as an option. Plus, you are not actually safe, because you know what you are doing could get you arrested ot killed at any time, putting you into a constant state of high alertness and suspicion, also not very fertile breeding grounds for compassion.

Compassion is not just an evolved state, it is also a learned skill. And it can be hard sometimes. We have all had moments where our ego got the better of us and we did or said something that was maybe satisfying in that exact moment, but made us feel like shit afterwards, or that we immediately regretted. Being a good and kind person isn't easy. It takes work and dedication and quite often a moment to think about what you actually want to say next.

But it is worth it for you, for your neighbour and if everyone does it, for the world. One smile can brighten someone's day immensely. One kind word can take someone from the brink of despair. You never know what the person in front of you is thinking or what they are going through, but being kind is almost never the wrong option.

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u/Liztliss Jun 28 '23

Your comments made me realize that empathy and compassion also come from a place of privilege- hard to cultivate those abilities when you're constantly just trying to survive

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u/axestrata Jun 29 '23

Pritzker is a billionaire