Empathy is the capacity to understand and value the feelings of others. It is a special ability for adult humans to place self in another’s state of mind or situation. It is caring about another’s feelings, thoughts and emotions.

 Tele is a Greek meaning for distant. Telepathy means disambiguation and there are telepaths and empaths in all cultures all over the world. They are the talented, creative people who seem to be daydreaming. They are mostly good listeners or loners and sometimes talk to themselves. Some cultures consider them mentally ill. They help others and put their own needs aside to help others who are hurting. To some they seem weak. The telepath does perceive thoughts. They cannot read minds. They can send light and healing to others, if they know how or care to. But when they do, sometimes it drains their energy.

 Humans need to care for animals. Animals can even benefit from true energy and light workers who know what they are doing. Many Native American Indians knew how to do this. Especially the medicine men. Did you ever stop to think that animals have feelings, emotions and even feel pain the same as humans? They get cancer and other diseases. I once observed a cow smiling for what this is worth. A rabbi once told me that a good man feeds his animals before he eats. To be cruel to animals is just wrong.

Teaching violence breeds violence. Teaching hate and prejudice breeds hate and violence. Very few people are ever good enough even to themselves, not to mention their fellow human beings.Why do we gossip and destroy other’s reputations? To avoid working on self may be one reason. If I can make another look bad, then I will not look so bad.

 Children are innocent until they develop their bodies and brains and must be protected by adults. Food, shelter, clothing and an education that is true must be provided. How do we develop empathy for others? By teaching it to our children. How do we develop kindness? The same way and by the way, kindness is not weakness, though perceived this way by some. There are persons who are able to do more and will not. There are persons who are not able to do for themselves. A need and a want are different. A true need is something that another cannot do for themselves. Older persons and animals have chronic pain and  need some help to open doors and such. to dishonor them by shutting a door in their face shows lack of your character, not theirs.

Image by Migraine Chick via Flickr