Principlev1
When someone shares unfixable suffering, recognize and
When someone shares unfixable suffering, recognize and silence comparison impulses before voicing them, because comparison redirects attention from their pain to yours despite feeling like connection.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Attention as Gate to Conscious Perception (attention is capacity-limited), Conversational Memory Asymmetry From Production Planning (working memory splits during conversation), and Egocentric Anchoring in Perspective-Taking (egocentric anchoring when modeling others). Prescribes noticing but not voicing comparisons that feel connective but function as attention hijacks.