Do what you can when you can, and live the rest of your time in peace knowing you did your best with what you had.
Could you have done more? Sure, but at what cost?
Organized protest when your voice can bring change, then go back to focusing on your local community where the stakes are smaller, but you still get the wins. Get others to join when the topic comes up, but accept that people need boundaries to stay sane, and might have different capacity than you.
I don’t think its a matter of stowing empathy as much as it is redirecting your energy. I still empathize with those people, but I try to focus energy on my immediate life and the people around me, and thinking about how I can help and improve their lives, support them best, etc. rather than doom scrolling and despairing.
Because with the people directly around me I can have a much more tangible impact.
I’d like to work up to having a more systemic impact too, but I’m still figuring out that part. But I think its helpful to have a solid base to work from first, you know?
that is valid, but then part of me says people’s ability to accept things by stowing empathy is what led to all this suffering in the first place
honestly not sure what i’m looking for here-- stay silly and functional
Do what you can when you can, and live the rest of your time in peace knowing you did your best with what you had.
Could you have done more? Sure, but at what cost?
Organized protest when your voice can bring change, then go back to focusing on your local community where the stakes are smaller, but you still get the wins. Get others to join when the topic comes up, but accept that people need boundaries to stay sane, and might have different capacity than you.
I don’t think its a matter of stowing empathy as much as it is redirecting your energy. I still empathize with those people, but I try to focus energy on my immediate life and the people around me, and thinking about how I can help and improve their lives, support them best, etc. rather than doom scrolling and despairing. Because with the people directly around me I can have a much more tangible impact. I’d like to work up to having a more systemic impact too, but I’m still figuring out that part. But I think its helpful to have a solid base to work from first, you know?