The Law, the Bag and the Smile.

I think empathy is one of those things that doesn’t follow the rules. Not because it breaks them—but because it walks beside them, like an old friend who doesn’t speak much, but makes the silence warmer.

A few days ago, I was on the train from Antibes to Genova. The usual coastal view, a mix of people boarding and leaving. Then, suddenly, three young policemen entered our carriage. Their eyes scanned calmly, professionally, until they stopped at a young man—maybe from Ethiopia, maybe from somewhere further away. He looked no older than 25. A silent weight around him.

He had no valid documents. Only a paper from a previous control: he had seven days to leave the country.

The policemen were probably his same age. Maybe they liked the same music. Maybe they had dreams shaped by different geographies, but similar in the need for stability and respect. They were applying the law, yes—but in a soft voice, almost like they were trying not to break something already fragile.

The young man had a single bag. It looked full, worn out. Probably everything he owns was inside. Clothes, a phone, maybe a photo, a hope, a fear. And somehow, in that small, overstuffed bag, he also managed to carry the presence—and maybe even the silent empathy—of those three peers who treated him like a human being first.

That’s what stayed with me: not the law, not the paper, not even the train’s destination. But the fact that even in a moment where one side had power and the other didn’t, no one raised their voice. No one humiliated. There was only presence.

Why does this matter?

Because empathy doesn’t erase the law—it reminds the law that it's made for people, not for paper. It doesn’t solve problems. But it makes them a little more human, a little less sharp.

And maybe that’s already something

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Even when the law must be enforced, the how still matters. This story reminds us that empathy doesn't need to shout to be powerful—it just needs to be present. If you're navigating difficult conversations, decisions, or leadership challenges, reflect on how empathy might walk beside your own rules.

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