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”
The scariest people in the world are those who truly know themselves. It may sound easy, but few understand what they excel at and what they prefer. The same goes for occupations. Someone may seem to know their job well, yet they might not fully grasp what they’re doing. What potential exists—whether the job is suitable for the times, if you’ve chosen the wrong market, or who the right partner is for you? The fact that many rarely start by understanding themselves means they often spend time without gaining much insight, even as they struggle hard. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”