If everyone had a little bit more of this one thing the world would be a better place. And the best part is that it's free.

The saying is, "There is more than one way to skin a cat." In this case, I don't think that's true. I firmly believe that this one concept alone would reduce the amount of tragedy and injustice that we see in our world today. Refugees would find safe homes. There would be no more school shootings. Sex trafficking would cease, and no one would go hungry. Race wouldn't matter, and bullying would stop. This isn't a government policy, new law, or even a new charity organization. It is an innate ability that we all have inside of us. An ability that we can develop and use in every decision we make. That ability is...

Empathy

It has a fancy definition but in basic terms it means the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes; to see the world through their eyes. When you practice empathy, suddenly the orphan becomes your own child, and the father killed in the car bomb becomes your dad. We must realize that everyone on this earth is loved by someone, and their loved ones hurt just as badly as we do when we lose someone we love. Empathy prevents people from treating other people like objects. That means no more unfair wages or conditions and no more objectification of women. The ability to empathize is what makes us human, and it is our greatest ability. It is the base of "The Golden Rule" that is a part of every major religion. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Ask yourself, "If I were in that person's shoes, how would I want to be treated?" Here is a wonderful video on empathy and its importance.

Key Takeaways: Empathy is feeling with people. It is a choice to be vulnerable and connect with a person through your own shared feelings and experiences. What makes things better is not a response, but a connection.

The four qualities of empathy:

The ability to take the perspective of another person and accept their truth
Staying out of judgment
Recognizing emotion in others
Communicating to them that you recognize their situation
The best way to increase your capacity of empathy for others is by interaction with people different than you. This can happen in a number of ways, but the most notable is traveling the world and meeting diverse people while having an open mind. And traveling could be as far as Madagascar or as near as the next street over. It's about meeting people different from yourself.

Why does traveling make you more empathetic?

1. It teaches you about the privilege of circumstance.

Life is not fair. Each of us is born with bodies unique to us. Some are larger some are smaller. Some are more naturally attractive and others are not. People are born in volatile nations and others are born to better parents than others. All of these things and more affect our quality of life, and they are things we cannot control. This is privilege. Because we are each born with a unique set of circumstances that come with unique opportunities and challenges, and they are not created equal. Traveling exposes you to many cultures and people with different circumstances.

2. It shows you that different isn't necessarily better or worse.

You learn that there are many ways to do things. There is no one right way to succeed. You can find inspiration and wonder in the fact that humanity has the ability to create a myriad of solutions to life's problems.

3. It brings humanity to all of your knowledge and information.

When you learn about the world in school through the context of a book it's difficult to picture what it's really like in these foreign places. You almost treat them like a fairy tale. But when you experience first hand the places you've read about it brings your understanding to a whole new level.

4. It corrects any unbalance on where you stand in the world.

Seeing others in worse circumstances than yourself makes you appreciate what you have and feel compassion towards those who are less fortunate.

Beyond traveling, a person needs to befriend people who are of different ages, races, religions, and social classes. Seek to understand their circumstances. This is how you grow.

What drives them and what struggles do they face? Use your imagination to live their life. More often than not you will find that these people who seemed so different from you are actually very similar. When you look in the eyes of the oppressed you'll soon find it was just a mirror.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -John Watson-