This has actually become a source of considerable guilt for
From: backwards7
This has actually become a source of considerable guilt for me. I saw you being very aggressive towards some of the other posters and I was interested in what shots you could take. Human psychology is kind of my thing. Had I known that you were going to react in the way that you did, I wouldn’t have done it.
Over the past few months, I have been watching you dig a hole for yourself and I feel very bad about it because I am the one who gave you the spade. Take a few moments to read back some of the things you’ve written and ask yourself, in all honesty, who does this diminish? Who does it hurt more? You - whose words are a reflection of your character? Or me – the person who these words are directed at?
The worst thing you can ever tell a soldier is ‘know your enemy’ because if you really know your enemy, then you probably won’t want to shoot him anymore. You might hate the guts of some guy across the street from you. You might think if you ever saw his stupid feet poking out from underneath the wheels of a truck, you’d throw a party. But then let's say you look a little deeper into his life. You see there are people who love him and that he has hopes and fears; celebrates small victories and suffers defeats like any man. I know enough biographical and factual information about you to neutralise any ill will that could possibly fuel this ongoing spat. The operative word here is 'enough'. I don’t know everything. I know enough.
I think this is what is meant by empathy. When you can look at someone, with whom you share little in common, and can see them, not as a stereotype or a demographic, but as a fully-rounded human being. And maybe, having recognised and taken on board this powerful piece of knowledge, which can never result in anything other than good, you can say to yourself quietly: ‘There, but for the grace of god, go I.’
