Compassion in Art

You’ll probably never fully or capably understand the need for equality until you are a member of a discriminated-against class of people.

One exception to this rule may occur when you love someone who is a member of a discriminated-against class.

I’m happy for you for all you’ve acquired, and all the clever ways you’ve acquired them.

I’m happy for all you’ve accomplished. I’m happy for all the places you’ve been and the people you’ve met.

I’m happy for all the wealth you’ve acquired for yourself and your family.

I’m happy for you for all the competitions you’ve won and the competitors you’ve beaten and surpassed.

But if your narrative doesn’t easily show how you’re helping others, I’m probably going to notice that.

Other people probably will also.

Do you want to know the difference between pleasing others and helping others?

Do you like knowing you were pleasing or helpful to others?

I have often been a person who pleases others.

I have made people laugh, cry, and sing. I’ve filled people with dramatic worry, anticipation, and joyous fruition.

I enjoy receiving clear feedback from others that I’ve pleased them.

I miss the times in my past when I was in the quid pro quo of giving and receiving pleasure.

These days, I don’t spend as much time pleasing others.

It’s important to understand the distinction between pleasing others and helping others.

Many people don’t like to be helped. To be “helped,” is to have needed the assitance of someone else. Many people want to be pleased. Fewer want “help.”

Often, people resent being helped. They’d prefer to be able to do things on their own. They sometimes want to be able to say “I did it my way” more than they want to achieve their objectives. Many people still insist on doing things their own way. Their pride prefers inferior results over conceding to others’ assistance. We are a proud species.

I like helping people fine, but I don’t pursue it much, for the reasons mentioned above.

In the rare cases where you can figure out how to please someone and help them, without them resenting it too much, that’s quite a thrill and quite a skill.