Quote by Maggie Nelson: “Empathy is a tool, not a feeling.”

This distinguishes empathy as a conscious, actionable skill rather than a spontaneous emotion. It suggests that empathy requires effort, understanding, and a willingness to engage with others' perspectives, making it a deliberate means to connect and influence.

The early 2020s saw increased discussions around social responsibility, ethical engagement, and the need for practical applications of understanding. Debates around cancel culture and restorative justice highlighted the importance of active, rather than passive, empathy.

American writer whose genre-defying works include The Argonauts and Bluets, blending memoir, theory, and poetry to explore love, gender, queerness, and the body. She is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.