I don’t want like-minded friends who agree with me on everything. That’s boring. I want friends who challenge me. But they’ve got to have heart. Not just opinions and ego. I look for like-hearted people, those who lead with empathy.

There’s a campaign out there to make empathy look weak. Like it’s some kind of liability. In politics, in culture, even in casual conversation, you’ll see people roll their eyes at compassion. As if being human is something to be embarrassed about. That’s not toughness. That’s fear in disguise. It’s how we end up loyal to tribes instead of truth. People stop thinking. They just perform, repeating the script that keeps them safe in the group.

Too many people confuse shared beliefs with shared values. They cling to their group’s ideas, not because they believe them, but because they’re scared of being cast out. That’s not conviction. That’s also fear in a costume. And it’s how empathy dies. Slowly, and then all at once. People stop seeing others as human and start treating them as threats. All for the sake of fitting in.

Empathy isn’t soft. It’s power. It takes guts to stay open to someone who disagrees with you. To really listen. To connect without needing to fix, win, or dominate. That’s the kind of person I want around. Not a mirror. A truth-teller. But a kind one. Someone who knows that strength doesn’t come from conformity. It comes from compassion.