Imagine a utopian world where everything worked faultlessly and everyone lived in perfect harmony. If only life were a bed of roses and every day came with all things bright and beautiful. Unfortunately, that fairy tale doesn’t exist. Such a reality only existed in the Garden of Eden before the fall.

For a more fitting metaphor, we can equate life to a boxing ring. At birth, we’re thrown into the arena with zero training and spend every moment combating the many forces that oppose our survival. Everyone’s fight is different. Some folks have it easy due to favourable circumstances, while others are pitched against giants. Some make it longer than others in the ring, but no one makes it out alive in the end.

Regardless of your fight difficulty, life is notorious for dishing out some deadly punches occasionally — a deadly left hook or a right uppercut here and there in a bid to knock us out. It often strikes unexpectedly; even the high and lofty aren’t exempted from these unforeseen jabs. Some hits are so strong we fall on our faces on impact.

No Man Is An Island

We can all relate to the little boxing allegory above in one way or the other. You might have received one of those “deadly jabs” in the past and somehow found your way back to your feet. Or maybe you’re still down from a recent hit. Better still, you may be dominating the game and winning at life —good for you! Whatever the case, this battle wasn’t meant to be fought alone. We all need each other to get through.

The world today is very different from the reality our antecedents dwelt in. Humans have evolved over thousands of years, and so have our social interactions. With the rapid advancement of technology and the subsequent prevalence of virtual communications in the past couple of decades, our inherent social conditioning has never been more skewed.

Social media and the internet as a whole have revolutionized the way we connect with others. On the good side, we can now virtually connect with people miles away that we otherwise wouldn’t have had access to. However, this innovation isn’t without its cons.

Technology Vs. Empathy

In the current age of screens and keypads, we interact less with others in person. Nowadays, a majority of the population spends more time on their mobile devices than with other humans, and texting is the default means of communication in the virtual space. The problem, though, is that this format doesn’t align with our inherent social design.

Several studies have revealed that a more significant portion of effective communication happens on a non-verbal level. Actual words only account for a small fraction of the whole. In a world where “chats” and instant messages have become the go-to, it is no surprise that we are slowly losing our empathy towards one another. The steep decline of face-to-face interactions is hurting our ability to form genuine connections like our ancestors.

Another adverse effect of the internet on human empathy is the risk of “compassion fatigue”. At every given moment, we are constantly bombarded with streams of information online, most of which are negative. One tragic report after another and loads of scandals are making the headlines.

We aren’t emotionally wired to process that much negativity, and incessant exposure to such overtime slowly numbs our empathetic abilities. We forget that behind every such report is an actual victim and regard it as just another report. Not to mention the rise of keyboard warriors who are constantly on the lookout for their next cyberbully victim, often in a bid to make up for their own insecurities.

Cultivate Empathy

Back to the boxing ring… When a fighter takes a hard hit and is down, those in his corner call for a time-out to help him get back to his feet. With their help, he stands a chance of getting back to the fight. Imagine that instead of coming to his aid, they choose to pounce on the wounded fighter. What are his chances of survival? Close to none.

So it is with life. When a soldier is knocked down or has their back against the wall, we have the responsibility to help them back on their feet, not sentence them to more misery with our lack of empathy. Offer as much help as possible, and be their corner man.

These days, we’re quick to throw stones at others and “cancel” them at the slightest wind of a fallout. We forget that they, just like ourselves, are imperfect humans. Nowadays, people have mastered the art of masking their pain for fear of being condemned by others.

I’m in no way justifying improper conduct, as is sometimes the case. My point is, when life knocks a comrade to the corner, don’t trample on them while they are down. Don’t be the reason why people lose hope in humanity. Rather, treat others with compassion, even when they err. Be the one that pulls them up and helps them get back on their feet. We all need each other to get by.

So the next time you’re tempted to “drag” someone or leave a vile comment online, remember that on the other end of the screen is an actual person just like yourself with feelings that can be hurt. Let your interactions be seasoned with compassion and grace. Juat as the golden rule says: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Choose kindness, choose empathy.