We can never know what we do to them in their minds. I think this sometimes. I don’t know where I heard it or if I even heard it anywhere, I can’t find the source by googling. I think this when someone’s casual comment or action stings. I think it when people get hurt. I think it when I look at the world and and realize we’re all living in the same complicated mess.
We can’t see the damage we do to others in their inner worlds because we can only see inside our own. We also can’t know what we do to help people heal. So there’s that.
Like Plato or Socrates or Ian MaClaren said (it’s hard to find the actual origin of this quote): “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.