The other day something I read reminded me of the song “No Man Is an Island.” I remember singing it in elementary school. Here is the first verse: “No man is an island, no man stands alone. Each man’s joy is joy to me, each man’s grief is my own. We need one another, so I will defend each man as my brother, each man as my friend.” I believe that song coming to mind several days in a row was an inner prompting to write about it. I was hesitant to do so because of the masculine wording, but I hope people reading my blog will accept that the song was written at a time when using the word “man” referred to all people and “brother” referred to both men and women.
The lyrics certainly portray empathy, in particular where the song refers to feeling the joy as well as the grief that other people experience. I am concerned about the lack of empathy that many people display when talking about other people or groups of people, such as those of ethnicities and/or socioeconomic levels that are different from their own. The lyrics also portray support, being there for one another. In my work as a crisis line counselor, I hear from people who say no one understands what they’re going through. And many people who call say they feel very alone. I’m thankful they call the crisis line so they can talk to me, make a connection with another human being, and have a respite from their aloneness.
In Jungian thought there is emphasis on each person becoming more conscious and, through that, becoming the unique individual he or she is meant to be. And in addition there is emphasis on being of service to other people. Growing in consciousness and being of service are interconnected. I believe the song “No Man Is an Island” came to me to remind me of these truths and to share them with you