There is a misconception that thinking of others means giving endlessly. It does not. Omoiyari without boundaries is not empathy — it is self-erasure. The person who says yes to every request, who absorbs everyone's emotions, who never asks for what they need, is not practising omoiyari. They are burning out.

Going Deeper

Explore this concept further in The Japanese Art of Omoiyari by Takeshi Mori.

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