Before we lose our sense of humanity

Human sense of emotion refers to “the capacity to experience and understand feelings.” Emotions are naturally triggered by events or situations which in turn influence our thoughts, behaviors, and even physical reactions. Some psychologists identified six basic emotions that include anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Emotions like fear, anger, and disgust are thought to have evolved to help humans and even other animals detect and respond to threats and dangers in their environment. For instance, while fear helps individuals react quickly to potential dangers, anger can motivate self-defense, and disgust could protect against harmful substances.

As a people and as a country, we seem over time to be losing the humanity in us. Yes, because disasters, which in other climes would have prompted immediate strong and coordinated national responses including the declaration of a national mourning period almost appear to have become normal occurrences in the life of Nigerians. One finds it difficult to understand or even explain the reason for this strange, yet, indifferent pattern of reaction to catastrophic situations.

Those who have the authority, resources, influence, power, position, or soft skills including patience and perseverance to provide interventions or relief to victims and survivors do not seem to care enough. Disastrous events keep occurring in parts of the country with no tangible countrywide responses and assurances to console citizens. Little does our national body-language illustrate that life, today, is worth anything in our part of the world. In March this year, 16 hunters that who were returning to their home state in the north from Port Harcourt, Rivers state, were reportedly intercepted and lynched by vigilantes on the Uromi-Obajana Expressway in Edo State on suspicion that they there were kidnappers. Soon, this became a bygone.

In June 2025, 12 travelers from Basawa community of Zaria local government area of Kaduna state were attacked and killed in Mangu local government area of Plateau state. Mourners had to cry out before condolence messages were sent to deceased families in Zaria. This week Sunday, bandits were said to have killed more than 70 vigilantes in an ambush at Kukawa and Bunyun communities in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assailants were also said to have set many houses ablaze in the areas. Panic gripped the Ogboji community in Orumba South LGA of Anambra State, earlier this week, when some gunmen invaded a gathering of people and opened fire on them; killing no fewer than 13 people. Our collective response a people and as a nation to all these, if one may guess, is “life goes on.”

The loss of one life in one community, hitherto, dampened the entire mood of the affected neighborhood of a village or town. Today, dozens of lives are being lost in banditry and insurgency attacks. Yet, it is as if those being killed are not humans. The feeling that should encapsulate individuals as human beings in their response to unlawful killings is now a scarce ‘product.’

Have we, as humans, ditched empathy? The way and manner in which many of us now respond to situations in which others suffer from one form of challenge, vulnerability or predicament suggests that the traditional African society where empathy underscored interpersonal relationships has been swapped with a civilization in which no one is prepared to share in the grief or distress of others.

When today’s young Nigerian gets to an accident scene, he prefers to stop, capture a few clips of the scene on video and post same on his social media handles as if that would save the life of the victims.

Empathy is simply the ability to understand, appreciate, and share the feelings or emotions of another person. Definitions of empathy covers a range of emotional states. Psychologists say it is the capacity to feel what another person is experiencing. Connecting with the other person’s pain is an expression of empathy. Empathy is important in life because it helps us to understand how to respond appropriately to other people’s feelings, emotions and critical concerns.

There are many ways of expressing empathy including acknowledging the pain of those in circumstances of distress or sorrow. When a person connects with someone’s pain or struggle, it helps him feel supported. It also shows the person expressing empathy understands (or is trying to understand) how the distressed person might be feeling. Most times, people in pain just want to be heard. They want a validation from others that what they are going through is difficult. One would be helping a troubled heart by also building confidence and hope in him; using appropriate consoling words.

Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (SAW) said “Whoever dispels some grief pertaining to this world from a true believer, Allah will dispel from him some grief pertaining to the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes things easy for someone who is in difficulties, Allah will make things easy for him both in this life and in the next. Whoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and in the next. Allah is ready to aid any servant so long as the servant is ready to aid his brother.”

One does not need to be a victim in a crisis before he knows what the affected people are passing through. You don’t have to be a poor to understand that the poor struggles to survive. You don’t have to be a woman to appreciate the pains women experience in childbirth labour. You also don’t have to be a leader before you are convinced that you can be wrongly accused of what you had no knowledge of. By the same token, you do not have to work in a school system to know that teachers are least appreciated by students, their parents, government and the society. May Allah  guide us to preserve our emotive sense to empathize for others without being urged to do so, amin.