Today, I want to share a real story I heard from an acquaintance about a powerful lesson in adult relationships.
In a certain workplace, there was a responsible leader, “B,” and a coworker, “C,” who was known for being a master at fitting in with everyone.
According to my acquaintance, Coworker C seemed like a great listener at first glance. She was reportedly the type of person who could naturally nod along with anyone. Behind the scenes, however, she was said to be talking trash about absolutely everyone.
Eventually, C took a leave of absence. During this time, her behavior came to light, and the atmosphere in the office became chilly. Sensing danger upon her return, C wormed her way into the good graces of the upper management and began feeding them fabricated lies about Leader B—the very person who had supported her. Tricked by C’s manipulation, management ended up pushing B into a very unfair position at work.
The scariest part of all? Those around them apparently still have no idea of the sheer malice behind C’s actions.
When I heard this story, two words instantly came to my mind: “Sympathy” and “Empathy.”
- Sympathy: Emotional alignment; simply nodding along and saying, “I totally get it!”
- Empathy: Cognitive understanding; the ability to objectively imagine another person’s perspective, background, and pain.
Coworker C was weaponizing “calculated, fake sympathy.” She agreed with whomever was in front of her to manipulate them. Because she completely lacks “empathy”—the capacity to feel another person’s pain—she could effortlessly destroy someone else’s career with lies just to protect her own skin.
But here is what I truly believe: “The truth always comes to light eventually.”
The upper management might not see it yet, but everyone else in the office already knows C’s true colors and all the trash she talked behind their backs. The reality that absolutely no one genuinely trusts her will slowly but surely catch up to C and back her into a corner.
And as for Leader B, who was so unfairly pushed into an unfair role—I doubt she is the type to just stay quiet and let this be the end. There is a very good chance that her quiet counterattack, a silent revenge to prove the absolute truth, is just about to begin.
What goes around comes around. The seeds of malice you sow will always find their way back to you. We have absolutely no need to lower ourselves to their ring and waste our energy getting frustrated.
People who always agree with you and act overly nice can seem wonderful at first. However, this story reminds us that truly trustworthy people aren’t those who offer cheap, temporary sympathy. True allies are those who possess “empathy”—the quiet ability to care for and respect others, even when no one is watching.
In adult relationships, let us not be blinded by superficial charm. Instead, let’s look for genuine empathy in the people we choose to keep close.
I hope you all spend your day surrounded by sincere, warm hearts in your own comfortable place (Ibasho).
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