HELP POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS

by Name

Indention Another one bites the dust. Countless lives have been lost, innumerable goodbyes were never
said and a billion people have had their day to day living transformed radically, at worst completely
destroyed. We, as a society, can only do so much what with all our limitedness as a species. Since these
past years it is clear that great sorrow has dawned upon human civilization.

The problem further aggravates the sad state of this generation of young people. Social issues such as
substance abuse, alcoholism, depression and suicide are already on the rise since the past decade. 1 With
the pandemic and excesses of modernism, it all becomes too much to bear for many people, especially the
youth. What poor unfortunate souls; it’s very sad but true.

Because of this, they (Please do not generalize. Use “some” instead.) turn to things that they think will
solve their problems. The feeling overwhelms them that they cannot even think straight. The temptation
to go for a seemingly quick and easy end to one’s problems is so great that they fill one’s minds with
words that turn into a voice which in reality lures them into a trap. Their already sad states are made even
worse for these poor unfortunate souls.

It is with that realization that the call for humans to build bridges and work together is ever stronger in
these hard times. The message has been immortalized in songs such as We are the World and Heal the
World. They perfectly capture the mission we as a society need to undertake not only in the this time of
crisis but in day to day lives. “There are people dying, if you are enough for the living, make a better
place for you and for me.” “We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving.”

But that is a very broad call and can be responded to do in various ways big and small. Which one of
these is enough? What is the greatest thing we can do for others? The answer lies in the two songs, it is
love. And one of the greatest acts of love that we can do is empathy. Show that you care which you do by
nature.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” “I offer my deepest condolences,” “There there, its alright.” Simple yet
wonderful words like these help greatly in uplifting a person from their suffering. This is made possible
by the phenomena of putting one’s self in another’s shoes. This makes it seem as if the person carries the
burden of suffering with us thereby lessening it much like how people work together to lift a heavy

1
Laura K. Barger, et.al., Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
— United States, June 24–30, 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Last modified August 14, 2020,
Accessed May 4, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm.
object. Moreover, it shows that people care for the wellbeing of the one suffering causing pleasure for the
latter that assuages their sorrow. One may not be able to totally remove the person’s suffering but it is the
best one can do by being an proactive agent of healing of a fellow human being. All these happen due to
the mere fact that man is a social being, that is, he exists as a being-with and a being-for others.

This notion of putting one's self in one's shoes is known as empathy. Empathy can be defined as a way of
feeling oneself into the experiences of the other person. As St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross puts it, we
experience another person's experience in empathy. 2 We do not directly experience what the other
experiences, but the feeling certainly moves us in an inexplicable way towards the good of the other
person i.e. their wellbeing. Thus, empathy may also result in and/or be a part of other forms of feeling and
acting together in the world that are mutually attentive. 3 By this it is also clear that empathy is not just
about liking somebody but understanding a person's experience because it is relatable.

When man empathizes with others, he shows that he cares and therefore loves. There is no doubt that
when empathy comes from the people closest to the one who is suffering, the consolation is furthered and
accompaniment is more efficient because the consoler knows the person well and thus would know the
proper approach to take.

But even when a stranger opens up to us their backstory for example, and it moves our hearts, we
certainly seem to be able to easily empathize with the person. The key here is desire. People automatically
relate to others trying to attain something when they themselves want something too. Everyone has
experienced humiliation at some point; everyone wants to be successful. So when one sees another pull
himself down by viewing themselves as useless, the person he meets is motivated to encourage him and
support him so that not just himself but also others may be successful too. Therefore, the desire and its
motives creates empathy. Without empathy, people would stare indifferently at others.

On the downside, this can also be applied to evil people if they have a relatable motive. We may not
approve of their actions or do not like them, but we can certainly empathize with them when we have
similar lived experiences that are relatable.

These poor unfortunate souls have to cross the bridge of suffering to get on with life. They will make
their own choices and no one can do it for them. But we have the moral imperative to help these people
we encounter. If we don’t, life will be unbearable like a missing limb that disables us, making it hard to

2
Fredrik Svenaeus, “Edith Stein’s phenomenology of sensual and emotional empathy,” Phenomenology and
the Cognitive Sciences, 17, 741–760 (2018). Accessed April 25, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-017-9544-9.

3
Ibid, 18
come by. Even words as simple is enough to show one’s love and alleviate suffering in an unquantifiable
way. Let us help these poor unfortunate souls.

Hello Bro.Luis. Maganda siya as a reflection. Pero I do not this if this would count as a philosophical one.
Please EXPLICITLY situate your reflection to a particular branch of Philosophy like Ethics or Social
Philosophy. In short, you may consider revising your choice of words. Thank you.