Marc Engel and I go back a long time – he was my speaker mentor for IIEX 2017 and – total coincidence! – is my speaker mentor for the QRCA Annual Conference 2022 (both are consumer insights conferences). He recently shared this article about compassion fatigue and struggles with empathy for outspoken anti-vaxxers getting sick or dying from COVID. This is a fascinating read and dive into one of the many sad outcomes of the pandemic: schadenfreude (another one of those German compound words!) over the misfortune of others, even if self-created. What is the antidote? I don’t have a clear answer, but the Ruth King quote below provides some inspiration and guidance.
Rage sits at the crossroads of personal transformation. Those of us seeking spiritual enlightenment will inevitably stumble upon personal rage on the path. Rage is not to be understood as a useless emotion, empty of story or knowledge. Rather rage is fierce clarity and untapped fuel. Embraced with compassion, the energy trapped in rage becomes an intimate and empathic teacher of balance, integrity, and inner peace, greatly enhancing our relationships and service. When we push rage away, we can't transform it. Rage requires our love and a practice of mindful and kind awareness towards our self and others.
—Ruth King, Founder of Mindful of Race Institute, LLC, author, educator, and meditation teacher.