Irma says she doesn't want to live in a world where helping people survive is remarkable. How can we make that more ordinary in the modern day?

Irma says she doesn't want to live in a world where helping people survive is remarkable. How can we make that more ordinary in the modern day?

This is the million dollar question! Step by step, person by person. Setting an example of empathy that people will want to follow.

That's a tough question. I think all we can do is individually use our moral compass when faced with a situation and hopefully doing good will spread.

That's a big question. All we can change is ourselves and our attitudes toward other people but we can hope that other people do the same thing.

Teaching empathy from a very young age at home and in schools, in books, and now through technology, is a very important pillar in human development. It is somewhat nuanced and not necessarily prioritized when many parents are just trying to keep their heads above water.

In this day and age, we all live in an encapsulated world of self-absorption inside a bubble of cell phone usage. Look on the street. People everywhere are fascinated by their phone and the messages and images, and games they see. We rarely smile at strangers we see or engage in eye contact with anyone we don't know. Part of this comes from a healthy respect for the possibility of a negative or- even worse- a criminal response. We can help people survive by joining organizations which help people with food, housing, education, and friendship. We can get to know people who need our help to survive. Sure, many homeless people and others in need of help have mental health issues, but even they can be helped, if only someone has the time and the resources to help them.

I live in Lee County, FL, and right now I see people all over trying to help others who have suffered due to the hurricane. So it’s encouraging to see people coming together, but at the same time, there are scammers and looters out there taking advantage of those who are down. I feel positive that the good in people will overcome, so I will continue to be kind and have compassion for others.

It does seem as though people have become more self-absorbed and, listening to &/or reading the news seems to corroborate the self-centeredness and callousness of people, unfortunately. If you just do what you can, individually, to be kind and compassionate and to seek out the good in others, that’s a step in the right direction.

People actually help others survive all the time. In my opinion, it becomes remarkable mostly in such extreme situations such as concentration camps or when the price for helping is itself life threatening. People are concerned with their own survival and will take from others when they can. But people can also exhibit an amazing capacity for giving in extreme situations as well, helping others at great risk to themselves. Irma had been a helper until the death of her child. Viewing other people’s needs helped her to regain that part of herself.

As a number of other people have said, one person, one act at a time is a great start. The sad thing is that it so often takes tragedy to remind people of the need to help others.

Everyone has to start making it part of their lives. Parents teach their children, individuals look into their hearts, officials take their oaths seriously. We can be a better people, but it does take effort. Empathy is imperative. Irma eventually saw that need to connect with others and she realized what was happening around her.