Say does your heart expand to all mankind And would you ever to your neighbour do, - The weak, the strong, the enlightened and the blind - As you would have your neighbour do to you? And, when you, looking on your fellow men Behold them doomed to endless misery, How can you talk of joy and rapture then? May God withhold such cruel joy from me!
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author questions how one can feel joy while others suffer if they claim to follow the golden rule.
- In plain terms
- You cannot be happy if others are suffering while you say you care.
- What can you take from it?
- Empathy requires concern for others' pain.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you respond to suffering around you?
- Can joy be selfish?
Another view
Some people may not feel others' suffering as deeply.
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