Adam Smith, the author of The Wealth of Nations, believed that “empathy is an intellectual activity that takes into account circumstances, motives, luck, social status, and human character of the person.” The moment we blame another person’s actions, we examine the appropriateness of those actions. Adequacy is a state of neither excess nor understatement. If everyone else thinks a person is bad but I advocate for that person by saying, “I can understand,” then I approve of their actions. This situation is called “mutual sympathy.” In our lives, we can be egocentric in some cases and relation-centric in others. The more mutual sympathy exists, the more relationship-oriented our thinking becomes. Both too much and too little can lead to tiredness or dissatisfaction. Pursuing happiness means finding this adequacy. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Some individuals take the easier route instead of engaging in laborious tasks. It can be frustrating, but often there are clear reasons behind these unreasonable circumstances. In such cases, it’s tough to change the individual because they are embedded in an irrational structure. The issue lies not in the personality itself but in this structure. Changing the structure can lead to changes in personality. In reality, personality remains the same; it simply holds different significance within the context of the structure. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”