As more Americans lose access to essential supports like SNAP, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies that make health coverage attainable, we must ask ourselves whether our so-called civilized society is losing its sense of empathy.
Elon Musk recently claimed that the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy. I could not disagree more.
Empathy is not a weakness. It is a strength that sustains a vital society. It fosters connection, trust and collaboration by helping people understand and share one another’s experiences. It drives compassion and social progress, allows conflicts to be resolved through mutual understanding, and forms the bedrock of healthy relationships and community belonging. Without empathy, societies fracture into isolation, mistrust and division.
Of course, empathy should not mean enabling irresponsibility or allowing individuals to abandon personal accountability. Rather, it should mean extending a helping hand to those in need, empowering people to rebuild their lives and contribute fully to our shared future.
President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
His message still resonates today: civic responsibility and compassion must coexist.
Empathy is not a liability. It is the foundation upon which a strong, just, and humane nation stands.
Shauna Wilhelm
Chehalis
