Steve
Mostly Harmless
I donāt think that proverb is suggesting one should be nice but instead attack and defeat such a person because theyāre unlikely to be able to handle two battles simultaneously.
Musashi believed in winning even to the point of bashing your enemyās head in with a rock if you have to. Others thought this attitude was dishonourable and rather beastly but Musashi believed all is fair in war.
A healthy perspective if youāre actually in battle or at war. Not sure itās the best approach, otherwise.I would have to agree.
As for the rest, sympathy and empathy arenāt the same thing. And personally, I find being empathetic (or trying to be, at least) is quite helpful for everyone involved. One might say itās borderline self serving. Giving people the benefit of the doubt, presuming good intent, not stressing the small stuff. All of that leads to getting through the day in a good mood, not angry at every perceived slight.
To be clear, Iām not talking about this laboratory of pseudo-communication. I mean in real world interactions with actual humans. Being nice, giving some grace, going with the flowā¦ helps them and it helps me. There is no down side.
Ultimately, when I read the OP, it just reminds me that it costs literally nothing to be pleasant. And you really donāt know what other people are carrying around.