This is a great observation, because it works in a lot of situations, and is a useful tool for empathy.

Someone’s level of stress/despair can be very relative. What’s normal life to one person can seem earth-shattering to someone else. And it also explains some of the most ridiculous stuff we see in society.

I’m thinking specifically about privileged people. Much of the MAGA movement, for instance, is fueled by straight, white, Christian men feeling threatened by “wokeness”. All they’ve ever known is privilege, and when people try and balance society to give a greater voice to women, POC, religous, sexual, and gender minorities, etc they start to lose privileges they’ve always known. To them, it doesn’t feel like equity. It feels like things are being taken from them.

They grew up in a world where it wasn’t as hard to find a good-paying job for them. They really could often get by on hard work and dedication, and assumed that was the case for everyone. When they lose the advantage and see women and minorities getting more jobs, they assume that it represents society valuing “wokeness” over qualifications. Pain is relative to each person, and when your life is privileged the loss of that privilege can have the same subjective emotional sting as discrimination.

It reminds me of a small child crying over dropping their ice cream. It’s objectively not a big deal, but to that child it’s absolutely devastating, because that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. As they grow, life will temper them and they’ll get over it eventually. We just have to show a little empathy as we help them move forward.