so i saw a discussion about feeling empathy toward children where an adult was explaining that they were worried something might be wrong with them bc they couldnβt feel empathy toward children and ultimately always sees them asΒ βlittle adultsβ and didnβt want to comfort and nurture or protect them because all they saw wasΒ βsomeone whoβd be an adult one day.β
and everyone went on reassuring them that nothing was wrong with them, they just werenβt a naturally parental person, which is fair and true!
but I didnβt see anybody making what I feel is the most important point, which is:
regardless, you still have to pretendΒ empathy for the child.
No, you donβt have to have your own child, you donβt have to go out of your way to interact with children, and nothing is βwrongβ with you if you largely find children annoying. you can tell your adult friends βI donβt have any patience for kids and prefer to not be around them,β
but if you view children asΒ βlittle adults,β you HAVE to then logically sayΒ βbut theyβre not. theyβre children, and IβM the ACTUAL adult, and itβs MY responsibility to treat them well and be nice when Iβm around them.β
and I donβt want to see any comments likeΒ βmust be nice to be neurotypicalβ on this, because Iβm not, and thereβs no mental illness that makes it okay to treat others badly, sorry. You have to be nice to children.
Itβs just literally human decency. Itβs one of the most simple rules of our species. Just be good to children.
