The act of sharing opinions, values, and emotions is often regarded as a virtue. However, one must wonder if most of what we call “sharing” is nothing more than an illusion. When something is shared between two or more distinct individuals, it is essentially an expression of agreement toward something presented by another. Can we truly claim, then, that something is being “shared” in the truest sense?
The concept of sharing implies that each person possesses the same thing. To put it bluntly, this is the illusion. It is not because we possess the same thing that sharing becomes possible; rather, it is because we are fundamentally different that we can feel empathy for someone else’s experience, leading to the misconception that we have shared something.
We do not present something that we already hold in common. Instead, we show interest and understanding toward what each person brings to the table. Precisely because everyone stands in a different position—because there is something different from ourselves that we can nonetheless direct our interest and understanding toward—we can gain empathy and feel as though we are sharing something.
To demonstrate empathy through interest and understanding, things must be similar yet distinct. In this context, we show interest not because things are alike, but because they are different. Because we are different, we can believe in the existence of others as beings separate from ourselves. And because they are different, when we are able to show interest and understanding, space is created for the emotion of empathy to arise.
The act of sharing and the ability to empathize are inherently valuable; they can even be a source of strength. However, this is only true when we acknowledge the fundamental premise that we are different. Perhaps “sharing” is not the result of possessing the same thing, but rather the very process of searching for it.
