Here you'll find some of my deeper explorations, essays, and personal writing projects.
This paper explores how empathy influences the way we treat one another, how it develops, and why it's a vital force for justice, connection, and personal growth.
It hurts.
It hurts to see how much the world is against your existence. Your day-to-day life is nothing to others. No matter what you accomplish, it will never measure up to the accomplishments of a cis, straight, white man.
We live in a civilization where the “economy” is more important than human rights. How did we divide so much that people believe they are better or deserve more than one another? I suppose the question is “When were people not divided?” Why is it that some need to be better? We all coexist with each other but never at the same level. Why is it that humans have this yearning to be better? Why can’t we simply live?
I suppose we know this answer—the way we have set society up—to constantly compete and defeat to have one person “at the top” and that’s how we model our success. The person at the top has never had to carry the struggle or pain of being seen as ‘less than,’ simply because of the situation they were born into.
And how easy they can say what is right and what is wrong, to control the livelihood of other people they have never met. And how they will never have to deal with that inequality. Why is it so difficult to let people live the way they want to live? It’s not fair that “you have every right” to be upset with those who disagree with you, but get offended once someone disagrees with you.
And yet—
You are not special.
You cannot own people.
People do not owe you shit.
We all are going to die anyway. Your legacy will fade, just like everyone else's. No one will celebrate you for the hatred you inflicted. Is it so hard to care about someone other than yourself? If your answer is yes, you have never experienced what it is like to love someone more than your own existence.
So don’t say or complain when things go to shit. You had a choice. To forever be locked up or to just let things go. See where that wave leads to. You cannot control most of what happens in life. Those who try will be mad for the rest of their lives. But those who let go, will be guided and set free.
And to be free is knowing on a cold snowy day that your heat is on and you’re not worried about the electric bill because you know you can’t change the weather, so instead of fighting you accept that there will be snowy days.
– MMS