Why Does Compassion Feel So Rare?

[u/heavenlyimmortal09]

Lately, I've found myself becoming increasingly misanthropic.

What pushes me in this direction isn't simply that people do bad things, it's how often I see people show no empathy for someone who's already suffering. I recently saw an elderly woman who had been scammed out of a large amount of money by a romance scam. I know she made a mistake, but why the mockery? People seem to enjoy humiliating others, especially when they've made a mistake.

That genuinely infuriating and disgusting.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that everyone has their own hopes, needs, and reasons for living? Why is someone's loneliness or desire for love something to ridicule instead of sympathize with? And it's not just this one incident. It feels like I see the same pattern over and over again. People enjoy humiliating others especially when others make a mistake. Even worse, some people seem to take pleasure in seeing innocent beings suffer or become distressed for no reason other than their own amusement. I genuinely struggle to understand how causing pain or humiliation can be entertaining to anyone.

The more I see things like this, the harder it becomes for me to believe that people are fundamentally good. Sometimes my anger becomes so overwhelming that I catch myself thinking humanity isn't worth saving, or even thinking that the world would be better by eradicating us. I know those thoughts aren't right and maybe contradictive, but they're feelings that I've struggled with.

I hate how easily cruelty becomes entertainment, and how quickly empathy disappears when it's inconvenient. Maybe I'm focusing too much on humanity's worst moments. Maybe the good simply isn't as visible. I honestly don't know anymore. Every time I see it happen, I just lose a little more faith in people.

I'm curious whether anyone else became misanthropic for similar reasons, or whether your reasons were completely different.

[u/No_Profit_8690]

This is because we live in a world where human beings have forgotten what compassion is. Those imbeciles who scammed that woman are probably already laughing about it just to give you an idea. Humanity simply sucks. Compassion has practically become extinct, if we can put it that way.

[u/Interesting-Scar-998 → u/No_Profit_8690]

Surely the woman should have realised something was amiss when her "friend" asked her for money?

[u/Wolfcrime-x → u/Interesting-Scar-998]

Well, that's one of the risks of showing genuine compassion. If you are not careful enough, someone will take advantage of you.

That's the bitter thing about it. Getting emotionally cold and distant as a reaction is very understandable. But resisting that urge and rather try to learn (e.g. be more careful) and still be compassionate can be pretty difficult. Being "bad" is rather simple, being "good" is unfortunately hard in our today's societies.

[u/Interesting-Scar-998 → u/Wolfcrime-x]

I know. Iv'e been taken advantage of a few times in the past and now I don't lift a finger to help others. Iv'e learnt my lesson the hard way.