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Here are the 17 types of people who deserve a lot more sympathy than they ever get

People in “unskilled” positions deserve a lot more credit.

sympathy, empathy, invisible problems
via Tom Edgington/Flickr and Pexels

Shy and depressed people deserve our sympathy.

The world would be a lot better if we all could put our prejudices aside and see people for who they are as individuals. If we learned how to lean in with our hearts a bit more instead of our judgmental minds, we’d probably treat each other with much more sympathy.

Sadly, we still have a long way to go as a society until we reach that point.

One of the most significant ways that we misjudge others is by attributing their status, appearance and social skills to their moral compass. People who are economically disadvantaged, overweight, or socially awkward are often cast in a negative light because many think that everyone who falls short of a societal “ideal” have done so out of laziness.

However, that type of thinking is lazy in and of itself.

The saying goes, “You never know what anyone is going through, so be kind,” and it’s true. There are a lot of people out there who are struggling with things we don’t realize. Further, we have no idea what people have overcome to be where they are today.

To help people better understand what others are going through, a Reddit user by the name of anthropocener47 asked the online forum, “What kind of people often get treated with less sympathy?” Many responses are in support of those who are struggling with issues we can’t see.

The post went viral on Reddit, earning over 8,000 comments. The responses were a great reminder that we are often quick to judge others while knowing very little about them.

So here are 17 types of people that could use much more sympathy.

1.

"Disabled people or people born with deformities/rare diseases." — KommandaKoopa

2.

"People missing front teeth." — bizobimba

RogerSaysHi added:

"This really sucks too. My husband fell and broke a front tooth a few years ago. We've tried getting it fixed several times, but the fixes just break off. We're going to have to get him an implant, as he's getting older, his teeth are getting more brittle. It's just that implants cost as much as a damned used car. You can tell that it has kind of killed his confidence a little bit. He doesn't smile as much as he used to. It absolutely blows."

3.

"Socially inept people—can be due to disorders or simply due to awkwardness. If you can't play the game and act 'normal,' sooner or later you will be made to pay for it. Sooner than later, probably." — RavensQueen502

4.

"The homeless, the poor, the mentally ill." — Ok-Equivalent-8509

SchemataObscura added:

"Came to say all of those and addiction."

5.

"Poor people." — Pretty-Benefit-233

Cmc added:

"This. There's a real disdain towards poorer people like they should magically be able to make more money. For lots of people, they have disadvantages that make that more difficult—lack of education or support, lack of time, illness or disability, or even just being stuck in a neverending cycle and having to time/money/ability to get themselves out. For some others, they prioritize other parts of life over money, and there's nothing wrong with making that choice for yourself."

6.

"Ugly people 100%." — dannywarpick

7.

"I had a hard time sympathizing with people who suffer from severe anxiety. My attitude was always 'just deal with it, stress is temporary.' Last summer, there was a series of events that triggered unprecedented anxiety for me, I didn't eat for days at a time, barely slept, and could barely function at work. It was absolutely debilitating and felt completely uncontrollable. A week on vacation helped but it came back as soon as I got home. So I went to my doctor and he prescribed a few meds, which helped a lot. Now I understand that kind of crippling anxiety, and I'm a lot more sympathetic to those who struggle to manage it." — EncanisUnbound

8.

"People in 'unskilled' positions. Sure, a burger flipper or custodian doesn’t need a college degree, but unskilled =/= not hard work. Having to prepare so much food in little time, deal with rude customers, and cleaning up stuff. The number of stories of people smearing poop on the walls. The stuff these people go through, people should feel sympathy." — guzhogi

Brilliant Tourist added:

"Skilled tradespeople get no respect, and they deserve ALL the respect. We freaking NEED auto mechanics and plumbers. Without them, the world doesn’t run, period, full stop."

9.

"Fat people. I’ve been fat and I’ve been skinny and the difference in how people treat you is astounding." — iamanachogirl

Ragingfeminineflower added:

"I said this too. I’ve been both also. I lost weight and didn’t understand why suddenly everyone smiled at me, people started to bend over backward to help me with things, greeted me more, gave me more genuine conversation even… and yes, genuine respect. I slowly started to realize why. I am and always have been the same person, but I know who others terribly are now."

10.

"Depressed or sad people. It's a nightmare..." — disabled-R1ggs

11.

"People that don't smile. My best friend is an absolute angel of a person but I've only seen him smile a few times over the last 7 years. Traumatic events are a mother f***er." – rockonyou717

12.

"The extremely socially awkward among us. My younger brother has been diagnosed with OCD and autism, has zero friends, and has never been kissed or dated in even the most elementary type way (he's almost 25 now). The world has not been kind to him throughout all this and it breaks my heart." — [deleted]

rocket_dog 1980 added:

"Boy, this hits hard. My oldest son (17) is incredibly awkward. Adults (my friends and teachers) treat him great and have nothing but positive things to say about him. He has not been embraced by his peers though. He doesn't have any friends his age. Most kids avoid him altogether. Sad."

13.

"People who die of suicide. My cousin killed himself when he was 19. I was shocked at how people (many who didn’t even know him) reacted when they found out. People got angry at him and talked about how selfish he was. The priest who did the service at his funeral couldn’t even bother to express sympathy for him. He had a very hard 19 years—neglectful parents (bad enough to be removed by CPS), juvenile detention, and battling heroin addiction, and spent his last few moments hanging from an extension cord in a moldy basement. If that doesn’t make someone worthy of sympathy I don’t know what does." — ladyphase

14.

"Shy people." — RudolfMaster

15.

"The elderly. Elder abuse is rampant." — janice-mericson

16.

"People who lose their temper when desperately trying to get people to understand that they have been abused." — Salty_Technician2481

17.

"Migrant workers. Imagine moving to a different country, you work your ass off to earn a good living, and some stupid bastards tell you that you’re lazy or you’re 'taking jobs from more deserving people.' Xenophobia is the most prominent form of bigotry where I’m from and it is all just hateful, ridiculous slander." — sheldonisautistic


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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

True

Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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