Religious Optimism is Bliss
So, like I've mentioned before, I'm a Christian. I've been a member of my Church my whole life, which has had a very clear and obvious impact on my ideologies, my outlook, and the way that I cope with pain and difficulty. Because of my beliefs, I tend to have an overtly optimistic outlook on life. If something sucky happens, I turn to the countless blessings I have and my relationship with God, which helps me to maintain my positivity regardless of my temporary circumstances.
This isn't something that makes me unique, of course. Anyone that has faith or some other reason for being optimistic has that natural shield against suffering. This shield is an advantage that allows us to stay afloat when life's maelstroms batter us. There is one weak point to this shield however.
People with this divine optimism typically do not understand the harsh reality of life.
This naiveté can often cause a lack of empathy for people going through serious issues and/or a warped sense of reality. Because life is typically good and secure, we forget how truly horrific people can be. Some of the greatest horrors of the human experience are inflicted by humanity itself. The optimist does understand this idea in a vague way, but their complete lack or intentional avoidance of real-life exposure to these monstrosities prevents true comprehension of them.
The Naiveté of Privilege
There are also legions of people in first-world countries that are experiencing a similar phenomenon. They have the privilege of living under governments that aren't overtly corrupt and actually have a few people trying to do some good. They also typically have food to eat every day, shelter of some kind, schooling of some sort, and a host of other astounding luxuries that are in relatively scarce supply. They are truly living a superior form of life that only the most microscopic portion of humankind has been blessed enough to experience.
But they complain. And they complain loudly.
"Oh, my government is out to get me. People are so awful. My life is so difficult. It is so hard to be me, when no one understands me and no one is on my side."
Now, I'm not saying that, because things are marginally better in some countries, that people are wrong to point out issues. That is false. There are loads of things we need to fix in the United States alone, and people should open a dialogue on these issues so they can improve. But what I am saying is that the majority of people living in first-world countries have the same lack of perspective that the optimists have.
The Problem to Solve
This is an issue. People unknowingly coddling themselves causes a lack of sympathy for people experiencing tragedy. This disconnect causes those with resources to ignore those without. It's so sad that children in Africa don't have food to eat. But are people spurred to action? No! There is a complete lack of initiative and haste to assist because of people's incomprehension of what it's like to starve.
What's the solution here? Obviously we can't deprive people of what they have to give them perspective. The goal of interpersonal cooperation and even civilization as a whole is to elevate everyone to the same comfortable standard of living. We shouldn't push people backwards. So, instead, we have to safely push them out of their own world. We have to give them a taste, somehow, of the stark, awful nature of the human condition. There are plenty of ways to do this effectively, but I postulate that 3 of the most effective ways to do this are through travel, through an unexpected tragedy's strike, and through consuming fiction.
Now, I'm a poor college student, so travel to another country isn't realistic. I can attest to the efficacy of travel in developing perspective, though. I lived in Mexico for almost two years. I saw and loved people living in squalor. I watched the police pull people over just to take money from them. My time there was incredibly eye-opening. But travel isn't always a realistic option and can be quite time-consuming.
The second option, experiencing one's own personal tragedy, is clearly not something I endorse. Confrontation with unexpected death, destructive natural disasters, robbery, or economic crisis does cause an empathy or others that are going through similar trials. But, for obvious reasons, it isn't logical to suggest people look for tragedy. The gain is never worth the devastating cost. The resulting empathy and perspective is a tiny pinprick of a bright spot in a dark, heavy event. So, this is not something to endorse or seek out.
So, this leaves fiction. This is the easiest option... and also the one that requires the most explanation. Time to dive in.
Why Fiction?
Fiction is the best tool for people to gain exposure to the dark nature of life because it naturally aligns with the way humans perceive the world. We think in stories. Think about it: our experiences are made up of a collection of subjects performing verbs to nouns. That's a story!
This idea is the basis of the Theory of Narrative Thought. We best comprehend the world through narrative structure. I don't want to dwell too much on the meat of this theory, but I bring it up because the Theory of Narrative Thought is the reason why fiction is the most impactful way for the sheltered people I mentioned previously to experience the pain they've never dealt with.
And they don't just experience it; they understand it. Readers voluntarily see through the eyes of the characters in each book. They read their thoughts. They read their words. They read their emotions. And because humans perceive the world through narrative means, readers are able to experience the life of another human, or at least pieces of it. I've been speaking about readers, but this works for all fiction: movies, TV shows, etc.
Conclusion
Humanity's goal is to make life easy, and that goal has been realized for millions of people. That ease of life, however, has sapped these people of the ability to empathize with people that have experienced or are experiencing real hardship and the harsh nature of human reality. To truly be compelled to make an impact in the lives of less fortunate people, they need to develop this empathy. The optimal way to develop this empathy, because humans naturally think in stories, is to consume fiction that depicts this harsh reality. So read Lord of the Flies. Read The Bluest Eye. Watch Attack on Titan. If you think you're entitled to the good in your life, actively consume media that will develop your empathy for those that live without.
