Two tin cans face each other, joined by taut red thread above a small wooden block against sage green.

Original artwork, not a still

Roger Ebert

I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker holds that empathy, the ability to understand and share others' feelings, is the most important trait a civilization can have. It is presented as a personal belief, placing compassion above other virtues as what holds a society together.

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