If you ever feel heavy....

[nuxvomica]

2. Empathy is a skill and a strength

Most people don't develop empathy until the age of 7 (if they develop it at all). It is the skill that allows one to "get" sarcasm. In one study, people's level of empathy increased after reading literary fiction but not so much with genre fiction, probably because lit-fic focuses on the inner thoughts of characters rather than action or imagery, training the mind to think about what others might be feeling. So even all the way into adulthood, there's a chance that complete assholes can develop it. That is the most hopeful thing I ever heard.