[C] When keeping empathy in mind, we open a new perspective on others we would not assume automatically, giving an awareness of other individuals. [I] D.F.W. emphasizes the decisions people face when experiencing a dull, frustrating, or irritating scenario, frequently determining everyone else is to blame for this feeling since we, as humans, are born to be self-centered. There is no question we are self-absorbed; we only physically see and experience the world through our perspective; it is how humans develop. [Q] Evading this selfish nature, we must look outward, as suggested by DFW, “If you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options” (Wallace 6). [E] He stresses the importance of altering one’s default settings, or being self-absorbed, by choosing more rational decisions in frustrating situations and assessing other’s potential struggles. [T] It is not just in encounters with others but also national and more substantial issues we automatically empathize with or neglect to see clearly. [Q2] Introducing statistical data into the matter, Bloom writes, “…in the year of the Sandy Hook killings, more schoolchildren were murdered in one American city – Chicago – than were murdered in Newtown” (Bloom 2). The significance here is that the populace looks to more mainstream serious events and sympathizes with the affected individuals; however, they overlook the less substantial incidents. [C] Both works bring unique circumstances into the discussion of empathy and support the claim that awareness is lacking in society and we should all work to become more considerate.