Monday 20 May 2013

Empathy

Is it just me, or do you tend to identify yourselves to several groups that you might belong to? For example we were announced that soon a company director will be promoted to a CEO position. That director, who’s quite nice, is gay as well. I felt happy and maybe a little proud for him. He’s really nothing to me if you seriously think about it, but I’m glad that an openly homosexual in a traditional, old fashioned, industry and company has made it.

Apart from identifying with gay people, I do feel the same when good news comes from Greece. I can’t help it. When Greece won the Euro 2004 football Championship, we were over the moon. Recently, I was very happy that ‘we’ managed to finish 6th in the Eurovision contest. I wasn’t very happy with the song itself. I first only heard it and I hated it. I then saw the video from me and I have to admit that the guys look really pleasant to the eyes and the whole setting is quite fun. The same feeling I get with other groups of people I might think I belong to. If my hometown is mentioned, even in a national level, or my old university when compared to other ones are similar examples.






Unfortunately, that works both ways. I feel embarrassed by the same groups of people, if something bad happens. Greece for example has been in the news a lot lately but not for the best of reasons (to put in mildly). Financial scandals, tax evasion, governmental misconduct and far right winged politicians are amongst the things that made international headlines. When something like this happens, I just want to stick my head in the ground and disappear.

Is it just me, or do you feel the same way? Maybe it is just me, being a bit extra needy and wanting to blend in. Taking part in the past in various running events, I felt strongly for the recent Boston Marathon bombings. And it’s not like I’m that good at running anyway. I can’t really be responsible that the Greek neo-Nazi party is in the Parliament, but I feel embarrassed just mentioning it.


Maybe it is not just me. As Aristotle mentioned all these years ago ‘man is by nature a political animal’. We do need to be part of a ‘society’, a group, having a feeling that we belong…



(I’m quite impressed. In a single post I am not only using just Eurovision but Aristotle as well as references. I’m almost succeeding in maintaining high quality. Unless of course that was Spinoza and I completely f%$*&d it up)

2 comments:

  1. well done for putting both eurovision AND aristotle in the very same post! haha. anyway, i totally understand what you're on about though.
    i think it's only human. and aristotle does have a point.

    whenever i find myself cheering for people who've done well from my hometown, part of me cringes inside (because i know the cheering isn't very rational)- but i can't help it. then of course, it's horrible when someone from the same place makes a fool of themselves...

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