We tend to care when it’s close. A friend. A co-worker. A neighbor. Suddenly, trauma has a face. Addiction has a name. Mental health is no longer a headline—it’s personal.
But why does it take proximity for us to feel empathy?
We often look away from what’s hard. It’s easier to scroll past than sit with someone’s pain. We judge what we don’t understand, and that disconnection has a cost. Silence grows. Shame deepens. And lives are lost.
The truth is, we all carry wounds—some hidden, some raw. And whether we admit it or not, life has a way of bringing it back to us. What we avoid doesn’t disappear. It waits. Until it hits home.
The only way is through. That’s not just a phrase—it’s wisdom. If we could meet others with less judgment and more humanity, we might just make space for someone to speak up. Maybe even save a life.
So next time you’re tempted to judge, pause. Listen. Try to understand. Because one day, it might be someone you love. Or you.
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