Musings from the CU Suite

Nov 12, 2013

The Power of Empathy

Written by Anthony Demangone

A simple act of kindness can move mountains.

On a New York City subway, a young man falls asleep. His head drifts over and rests comfortably against the shoulder of another man. The man doesn't move. He lets the younger man, a complete stranger, sleep comfortably.

Another passenger asks the man if he needs help waking the younger passenger. The response? No.

"He must have had a long day, let him sleep. We've all been there, right?"

The passenger who asked the question was so moved, he snapped this photo.

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The photo and the surrounding story have gone viral.

This gives me hope.

We live in a "greedy" world. A "harsh" world. A "cold" world. I used quotations for a reason. I'm not sure any of those descriptions are actually true - but you hear them a lot. 

We make our world what it is. 

On a subway train in New York City, the world was kind. Compassionate. And full of empathy. That one act moved another to take a photo and write a story. That one act has spread far beyond that subway car.

The world can be harsh and cold. Or kind and compassionate. We get to push it one way or the other.

Which way will it be for you today?

Have a great week, guys.

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