Between Fear and Empathy: Life Lessons

Many years ago, in a conversation with a very successful man—owner of several businesses—I mentioned that I had heard someone say he disliked the rich because he considered them proud. He quickly retorted: "No one gets rich by being proud. It's the poor who are proud—and that's why they remain poor."

This statement made me reflect deeply. The basic principle of empathy is humility. Proud people have difficulty establishing healthy relationships because they can't express themselves authentically. They are always avoiding exposing themselves, afraid of hurting their own ego—fragile and ordinary.

Existing in the material world is a constant challenge. From the moment we receive our bodies, we are taught to be afraid. This is instilled in us from a very young age. Unlike ancestral cultures, which taught just the opposite: never to fear, because death is a natural and inevitable consequence of life.

Those who isolate themselves do not grow. We live in an interactive society, where each person is part of the same movement. We need each other—to be born, to live, and to die. Therefore, let us strive to be more empathetic and humble. Only then will we truly win.