Did you know, the old woman said now, standing beside the grown-up Annie, that a dog will go to a crying human before a smiling one? Dogs get sad when people around them get sad. They're created that way. It's called empathy. Humans have it, too. But it gets blocked by other things-ego, self-pity, thinking your own pain must be tended to first. Dogs don't have those issues.
The old woman shares an interesting observation about dogs, noting that they tend to approach humans who are crying rather than those who are smiling. This behavior reflects an innate empathy that dogs possess, allowing them to connect with human emotions and sense sadness. Unlike humans, who often have barriers to their empathy, dogs respond directly to the feelings of others.
Humans can experience impediments to their empathetic responses, which may arise from ego or self-pity. The complexities of human emotions often complicate our ability to empathize fully with others, as we may prioritize our own pain. In contrast, dogs are free from these distractions, enabling them to offer comfort to those in distress unconditionally.
