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If I Were You, Exactly You
As ancient wisdom traditions teach us, when we truly understand others, we understand ourselves, and when we truly understand ourselves, we understand others. We are all doing exactly what we would do, given our complete context.
Manuel Enrique
December 04, 2024
Three hours of rhythmic kicks to my airplane seat became an unexpected meditation on empathy. On a recent Mexico City to Austin flight, a child behind me turned my seat into a drum, while the parents seemed oblivious. With each thud, judgment rose inside me like a wave.
I shot glances backward, crafting silent accusations. How could they let this continue? What kind of parents ignore their child's disruption? My frustration built with every kick, until a strange thought surfaced: If I were them—exactly them, with their entire life history, their precise neural wiring, their current state of mind—I would do exactly what they were doing.
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