Our problems are only issues from the perspective of our unique view of the world. Our life experiences up until the point at which we face a problem, in combination with the timing of an endless amount of factors, are what determine how severe we perceive our problem to be.
Yes, often times we can easily sympathize with the issues of people around us, but it’s only because the factors in play in their lives are similar to the factors employed in our own lives.
In the truest sense of empathy, it is very infrequent when we can actually empathize with the billionaire who is suffering from a mental illness, or with the eight-year-old kid in Ethiopia whose body is shutting down from years of compounded malnutrition.
We can be told of the immense pain that they feel and we can feel bad for their situation in a very humanitarian way, but rarely can we fundamentally relate.
You see, everything that we see and experience is relative. The billionaire doesn’t feel the joy and excitement for life that the eight-year-old does, and the child doesn’t feel the positive effects of having a nourished, healthy body.
As much as we can try to understand our own personal experiences and apply an equation of sorts to other people’s problems, we can’t quantify pain and suffering. There are simply too many factors that need to be considered, including genetics, early-life experiences, mental fortitude, and the strength of relationships.
The answer to this dilemma? Unconditional compassion. It is only through continual love and kindness that we can fully embrace what it means to be human. Compassion is the means by which we can reduce the suffering in the world. Without judgement, and expecting nothing in return.
The solution comes to us when we realize our connectedness to it all. When we realize that we are so much more than the mind and body we lay claim to. That life does not cease to exist outside of our bodies, or after we breathe our last. And that in the infinite universe, the self is simply an illusion. To find peace, overlook the superficial aspects of life and come to see the you that was in-front, behind, and beside you all along.
