Sensitive to Others

I have been struck several times this past week by the insensitivity towards others who are not like ourselves. All too often we assume that others are just like us, even if we know that they are not. Our intellect becomes warped by our emotions as we start to make decisions for others and assumptions about their experiences off of our own. Memories are meant to be shared with others, not to make them into cookie cutter versions of ourselves. This lack of sensitivity is extremely pervasive across cultures, the culture of the city vs. the rural, the culture of the rich vs. poor, the culture of the extrovert vs. the introvert. And of course from one culture to another. When are we going to wake up and embrace getting to know another from a fresh perspective? I can only hope that day comes sooner than later, before we attempt to harmonize people into a pile of mush (the melting pot perhaps?) instead of letting everyone fully live out their own culture.