Kindness Virtues – Empathy

As an experienced teacher I’ve acquired a sense of when my “audience” is paying attention or not.  When I gave talks across the country about kindness, community and humanity the part that garnered the most attention was when I pointed out we have empathy.  Most humans have the ability to feel each others joys, to feel each others pain.  Empathy is the foundation for why we are an altruistic species under the conditions of small band society, unaffected by centralized, paternal influences.  Empathy is the reason why it is right to behave altruistically; empathy is the reason why most humans feel good when they do so.  Empathy as a virtue is the driving force behind kindness.