#Empathy - the ability to understand the perspective of others - is a learned skill. Sure, some people will have an easier time than others, but it always starts with the question: "Why does that other person think and act the way they do?", and engaging with curiosity instead of sticking with one's own assumptions.
However, the problem arises when the people in our society who make the decision cannot empathize with people who are much less powerful than they are - and worse, they don't even _want_ to empathize with them. Consider space flight Blue Origin NS-31, where #JeffBezos and his cronies genuinely seemed to believe that this would be seen as "supporting #feminism " instead of the #oligarchs showing off how rich they are.
Or #ElonMusk taking the virtual chainsaw to numerous government agencies with #DOGE and then being apparently genuinely surprised that making the situation for tens of thousands of government agencies and those they support might make him unpopular. For him, all this is just a grand game - so why shouldn't it be for others?
But this attitude is nothing new. Througout the ages, the rulers, potentates, and other mighty people have looked down upon the poor and downtrodden, who are supposed to do what they are told without protest.
Which brings me to my personal subject, German folk tales. And the people who first made that subject popular - the Brothers Grimm.
For while the Brothers Grimm had all sorts of dodgy beliefs of their own, one of their stances was both radical and right - the tales and thoughts of "ordinary people" - in this case, the rural German peasantry - deserved being listened to and told. Something we can learn from, even today.
#folklore #politics #oligarchy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm
