Rule 9

“It’s not that bad.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“Other people have it worse.”

“At least it’s not…”

We say these things without meaning harm. In fact, we often say them to comfort, to reassure, and to lighten the moment’s weight. But instead, we accidentally make the person feel smaller. Dismissed. Overreactive. Alone.

Empathy doesn’t shrink pain. It sits with it.

When someone shares their hurt with you, it’s not your job to scale it, compare it, or reframe it. It’s your job to hold space for it, to acknowledge it, to honour it, and to let it matter, even if you don’t fully understand it.