GA assembly rule No. 26533. When in the presence of humans, all assembly members must warn the audience before the presentation of any horrific, images, videos, or stories. It remains up to the human's discretion beyond that point how they wish to proceed.

The word Empathy does not exist in the Vrul vocabulary. It does not exist in the Tesraki or even the Rundi vocabulary. The word Uhrsh't, in the Drev language, is the closest any species has to the idea of empathy, but, even in the Drev language, means the sadness one feels for another who can no longer fight.

As any linguist understands, if a word is not articulated with language is very hard to explain, and, may even mean that the concept does not exist, for if it was important, why wouldn't it have a word. For example, the Drev have five different words for different types of anger, not dissimilar to the humans who consider frustration and anger to be different emotions where other species would consider them subsets. Most species do not experience anger nearly as often as Drev or even as humans.

In this same way, humans experience empathy on a level not understood by almost any other species. Before humans came, when the GA worked together, they did it based on the ease and convenience that working together caused their own society. They did not work together to benefit each other specifically, but to benefit themselves only, which, in turn, caused a few happy side effects.

Then, humans joined the galactic alliance.

We noticed it slowly, but overtime it became the single most fascinating and the most useful tool for GA representatives. First, the humans were happy for us, genuinely sharing in our joy when we succeeded, even if it did not benefit them, and when we were insulted, it was as they personally received the insult. When injustice happened, the humans grew angry despite not being involved in the injustice. When our children died, the humans wept with us and for us.

I remember the first time I ever saw it, sitting at a GA conference watching those present images on the devastation caused by the Tesraki earthquake. I can recall clearly turning to my side and seeing a human wipe tears from his eyes, another turned her head to look away. What, to others, was an indifferent cause to be dealt with, for the humans it was a source of pain as if they could somehow FEEL what we felt.

Science says that the human brain cannot tell the difference between memories of images seen on a screen and those seen in real life, so when we showed pictures of natural disasters, of bodily injury, and videos of the dead and dying, the human brain remembered it as if the humans themselves had seen it in person. They reacted, sometimes, as if they were there growing nauseous, or pale. They winced and cringed at injury as if they themselves could feel the pain of the injury.

I asked a human about it once, and they told me that, in a way, yes they can feel our pain. Not so much as pain itself, but perhaps an uncomfortable tingling around the analogous site of injury upon their own skin. I had never heard of something like it, the fact that a story or even a visual reference of pain could cause such a visceral reaction in humans.

Politicians constantly use this to further their goals. If you can play upon the empathy of a human, you can convince them to help you. Humans have this amazing ability to step out of their own body and place themselves in yours to decide just how they would feel in your same position. Paint yourself as a victim, and they will feel personally victimized FOR you.

For us it is a gift.

For humans it is a weakness.

To all humans, remain aware, for your empathy is a gift, but it is also a way to use you.....

But you probably already knew that. No one is better at manipulating humans than humans themselves.