READ JERK, DON'T BE A JERK!

Art by Andrea Hernandez

You’ve all heard of Punch the monkey, or at least seen a picture of the baby primate clutching a stuffed orangutan in Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo. He was abandoned by his family and bullied by the other monkeys in the zoo, so the staff gave him a plush orangutan to mimic a mother figure. They also posted TikToks of Punch, which quickly shot to virality to the point of IKEA stores selling out of the stuffed animal he was holding.

Punch is adorable and his story is heartbreaking—there’s no questioning that. But are people being genuine in their concern for this baby monkey? And why have they not extended the same level of concern to other humans suffering?

According to a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University, humans tend to show more empathy for other animals than members of their own species. This may explain the outpouring of love for little Punch while other humanitarian issues go unnoticed. But aside from that, people assuming their own lives are more important than everyone else’s is becoming a clear phenomenon.

Biologically, the human race is wired to treat life as an “every man for himself” battle, according to biologist Richard Dawkins. This dates back to early days, when cavemen prioritizing themselves over others determined the difference between survival and death.

Now, even though most people don’t need to compete for food and shelter, some still feel the need to act like it. TikTok philosophers preach day in and day out about “protecting your peace” and how you don’t owe anyone anything. But in doing so, they foster a lack of empathy in the impressionable minds consuming their content. Kindness and respect are the bare minimum. They’re not something you “owe” someone—they’re fundamental, obligatory traits of being human.

Whether people have grown sour because of the lingering effects of social isolation or constant exposure to horrifying news, it’s growing clearer every day that society is shifting in a dangerous direction. People smile at strangers less, “please” and “thank you” have disappeared from the common vernacular and it seems like everyone has decided that they’re the single most important person in the CoreLife line. The New York Post shared a TikTok recently where they interviewed young people on a beach and asked what issue facing America was the most important to them. They got answers ranging from “what bikini I’m going to wear next,” “getting a tan on the beach” and “ICE. Not personally though, I’m legal.” When asked about Donald Trump, one girl stated that the last thing she knew he did was rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The reporter then questioned if people knew about the war in Iran or the killing of the ayatollah, about which they were all confused.

The news has been so awful recently that people have begun to shut it out as a way to keep themselves happy—but this can be a slippery slope of selfishness. Being politically aware in this climate is mandatory to keep yourself and others safe.

Sociology professor Gretchen Purser theorizes that the problem has less to do with selfishness, and is more about the individualistic nature of society.

“[Selfishness] places blame on personality traits of the individual. Individualism, by contrast, refers to a broader cultural pattern in society that is nurtured by institutions,” Purser said.

The prevalence of social media has not only become an outlet for people to distract themselves from the news, but has also turned users into armchair psychologists, going as far as diagnosing strangers on the internet. This can lead to misinformation and the spread of calling people narcissists or gaslighters, even those who don’t fit the definition.

Real narcissism can lead to even more performative empathy. In a video called “Narcissists and performative empathy,” clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula said that, “performative empathy is the way a narcissist can brand themselves as ‘a good person’ to other people.”

Though they may preach on social media about helping people, their actions in real life contradict what they proclaim online. This begs the question of whether people cooing over Punch the monkey are truly feeling for the little guy, or if they just think it’s an easier, less controversial issue to defend.

True empathy is the main thing setting humans apart from artificial intelligence in this day and age. Computers can now do nearly anything humans can do. But nothing can compare to the way it feels to have a genuine conversation with someone who loves you, or have someone do something nice for you that you weren’t expecting.

Research from the National Library of Medicine on the COVID-19 pandemic shows lingering decreases in social empathy, but, surprisingly, an increase in emotional empathy. In social settings, the participants indicated a struggle to empathize. However, their ability to feel for fictional characters and their cognitive empathy actually increased. This signifies a fear of showing the world that they care, but, privately, a genuine feeling of love and respect for other people.

The results of the study indicated that empathy is linked to mental health: because the pandemic had such a staggering impact on mental wellbeing and halted social interaction, empathy in social situations became more difficult to grasp. People still feel empathy, it’s just more buried than it used to be.

Psychologists assert that this can be worked on in therapy, and that it isn’t an end-all be-all. People can return to the level of social empathy that they once had.

“The mass resistance to ICE, and the mutual aid networks that have been created in cities like Minneapolis speak to the very opposite of selfishness. They demonstrate profound social solidarity,” Purser said.

When you don’t clean up your table in the dining hall, think about the people who have to pick up your chicken bones and wipe up your sauce smears. If you don’t hold the door for someone behind you, think about the person who just got the door slammed on them.

Please, don’t act like the cavemen. We’ve evolved past that mentality, there’s no need to go back in time. Carry the empathy you hold for baby Punch for your fellow humans, and smile at the next person you see on the street. You never know if it could make their day.