Mirror, mirror

I don't think that we should feel the pain of someone else's hurts. That's rather extreme, if you ask me: if we can't help living vicariously, then we should aim for joy instead of grief. Both are illusions, but at least one of them doesn't hurt while it lasts. Anyway, I digress. We shouldn't feel someone else's pain. That, however, doesn't mean we shouldn't watch it and even learn something out of it. It is actually wise to do so. To watch what happens to those around us might give us a clue of what's in store for us. More often than not, we find ourselves squeezed into the same little boat, rowing for salvation.