And I’ve learned without any shred of doubt that what people everywhere truly want is connection and mutual safety. Beneath the layers of culture, individuality, upbringing, conflict, and circumstance, it’s the basic foundation of human nature. In the darkest moments of my life, when I’ve had to face the truth of people’s scariest behaviors, this is what I’ve found.

— Laura Killingbeck, Empathy is a Survival Skill