Developing Practical Empathy

Unless we have a heart of stone, it is impossible not to feel empathy (the ability to share another’s thoughts, worries, and feelings) for those on the front lines as the virus challenges the capacity of our healthcare system and the endurance of our caregivers. The degree with which we can empathize with others is one element that defines us. As a society it may be the most important element binding us together into a civilized society.

I am in the Boomer generation. Our generation will have the most casualties from this pandemic. We also know many of the young generation will show no symptoms and because of this they may be virus carriers who infect us.

I am going to give you a quote from one of many young party animals along the Florida Beaches. Make a note about your feelings as you read this.

"If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying. I've been waiting, we've been waiting for Miami spring break for a while. About two months we've had this trip planned, two, three months, and we're just out here to have a good time."

Do you sense a generational lack of empathy?

Let’s dial back the clock to this summer pre-COVID. School kids were mounting climate strikes world-wide. Here is a quote: “You say you love your children above all else and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

That was the 16-year-old Greta Thunberg. Despite the fact nearly the entire climate science community agrees with MS Thunberg, many in our Boomer generation viciously attacked her.

Why is it many of us expect empathy and respect from the young, while we neglect them?

We do have a couple excuses. Jamil Zaki an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of “The War for Kindness” says our ability to share, understand and care about other’s experiences dissolves across space and time.  Even though we have been warned repeatedly by our best scientists, and we see the damage climate disruption is wreaking on others, we fail to empathize.

Secondly, with few exceptions, we are often unable to imagine the future. The dangers of this human inability were expressed by the philosopher Heraclitus 300 years prior to Christ “If you do not expect the unexpected (imagination required) you will not recognize it when it arrives”.

If we want to be a successful species, and use our natural empathy to our benefit, we must bravely imagine the future. This means knowing some science and exchanging ideas with others. Note: books are pages of ideas we can critically assimilate.

To move climate action forward, we might want to use the trick I just played on you. If you want to move progress forward engage in conversation.

You might ask someone, “What do you think of the party animals at the Florida beaches in the middle of this pandemic? It seems their behavior is a threat to our longevity.” (The Hook)

Then after listening you might say, “To be fair to the youngsters, climate disruption is a massive threat to their future lives. Maybe we should think and plan with them in mind. What do you think?”

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to see what lies in store for our kids if we do not strengthen our ability to cope with pandemics. Italy is fighting a life and death battle. The Italian medical system, one of the best in the world, did not prepare for this form of contagious disease.

We are not doing so well ourselves. Despite the warnings by our epidemiologists warning us this disease would find its way here our President did not heed these warnings. We lost 4 to 6 weeks as the pandemic spread.

Also, I find it incomprehensible we have not devoted money to stockpile enough N95 masks. Again, epidemiologists have warned us for years. They cost 75 cents apiece. The Trump administration has had three years stock up. It seems his obsession to cut science budgets blinds him, and thus our government, from preparing for the predicted not to mention the unexpected.

The ability to foresee the consequences of preparing (or not) for a pandemic, or for climate change, are the same.  Our best science minds are already on it. We need to commit ourselves to knowledge, imagination, and empathy.

Greta gave her generation a frank, but in the end, upbeat analysis, “We have to acknowledge that the older generations have failed. All political movements in their present form have failed, but homo sapiens have not yet failed. Yes, we are failing, but there is still time to turn everything around. We can still fix this.”

I would like to add, “We Boomers have not failed, yet. Most of us will weather this storm.  If we can imagine, as science has given us the ability to do, we will nurture the empathy needed to start the transition to a sustainable future.”

Personal request. In my helicopter career I worked closely with medical professionals. There are no others that embody the concept of empathy better. It is what drives them. Please pray for them.