Seth Godin made a post about empathy a few weeks ago that is somewhat apt for the upcoming holiday season.
Every hiker is intimately aware of their backpack. They picked it out, choosing from dozens of options. They know which straps are loose and which are digging into their skin. They can tell you if it’s lopsided, and what is in each pocket.
And yet…
Even after days on the trail, they probably couldn’t tell you a thing about anyone else’s backpack. Except, perhaps, that everyone else has one.
That’s the first step toward empathy: Realizing that everyone else has a backpack, and that it’s different from yours.
I would also add that for an activity that is pretty stripped down from the accoutrement of our daily lives, there are a lot of rules to learn regarding hiking. It requires some empathy to realize new folks may not be aware of the rules.
Usually those descending yield to those ascending. Everyone yields to horse, bikes yield to hikers.
Carry out trash and waste. (You folks leaving the bags of dog poop on the side of the trail to “pick up on the return trip” aren’t fooling anyone)
If you are going any distance into the hills and mountains, put your cell phone in airplane mode so that the battery doesn’t run down as it seeks a signal. If you encounter an emergency and have to a hike to a place where there is a signal, you’ll be grateful you preserved the charge.
While people might not be able to tell you everything about someone else’s backpack, you can often spot if they struggling with the weight of the pack because the straps aren’t adjusted correctly. Being willing to give people tips about how to ease their burden is a way of welcoming people into the activity.
There was a time I pointed out a guy was wearing his ice spikes backwards that immediately led me to recall when a couple hikers gave me advice about the best spikes to buy as I was gingerly edging my way down a trail.
This can all metaphorically be applied to other parts of life because they are practical applications of decency in everyday life.
