Live in neighborhoods and communities where you interact with people from diverse backgrounds and jobs. If the person living in the apartment above you is a policeman, then you’ll have more empathy when he asks you to abide by the law, and he will ask you in a compassionate and kind way. If your kids go to the same school as the grocery clerk down the road, then you’ll be more patient and considerate when you shop and interact with him. The same goes for attorneys, plumbers, accountants, and bankers. It makes it less transactional and more personal if you have see the person the next day.

Being proximate, social pressure, and a sense of community mean that everyone is accountable to their community and their neighbors. I’ve heard people say that the world is divided into “the haves and the have nots.” I think it’s divided into “the Served and Servers.” There’s a separation of the suburban (wealthy served) class and the working “serving” class. The serving class can’t afford to live in high-end neighborhoods, so they commute long distances from far off places. Long commutes segregate people and make interactions anonymous and transactional. That’s why there’s so much political infighting in the US. The structural operating system in the US has separated people, and resentment builds on both sides because there’s no empathy and compassion.

Live where you work and work where you live. I’m hoping that that the current work from home surge during the pandemic will encourage people to shorten commutes, stay proximate and get to know their community.

Photo by Jarred Ray on Unsplash