There are people you know who are actively missing out on a large part of the human experience — compassion.

It’s a feeling that’s 100 percent unique to human beings, and, still, so many people choose to not experience it.

Even dogs, cats and chimpanzees don’t have what’s called a “theory of mind” — the awareness that other organisms are undergoing a similar experience of existing. When they do something cute or loveable, yes they’re being cute and loveable, but they really have no clue they’re influencing another entity’s experience of reality.

Nope, it’s only us humans who get to know we make a difference to ourselves and the other creatures around us.

So why opt out?

Not only does it seem like a outrageous waste of these ancient, perfectly engineered mind/body happenings we call “ourselves,” but choosing not to feel connected to those around us also happens to be the easiest way to make life feel like a monumental drag.

At once, it stuns me that there are so many people who choose to promote misery, but right after that, it almost makes sense they do.

How is it even possible for someone to be a rapist? In under absolutely no circumstances is that ever a good thing to be. But it happens.

It happens in someone who just straight up doesn’t get it. If you don’t see what’s wrong about being a monster by the time you are one, you’ll never learn.

But you don’t have to be a child molester or serial killer to exhibit the same patterns of compassionlessness, and even though you may never directly inflict physical trauma on anyone, you’d be surprised at how closely your behavior matches those of the seemingly mindless monsters who hurt children, steal from the elderly and beat up the homeless.

The only real difference between murdering your family and making ignorant comments and the shooting of unarmed black men in Missouri is that only one of them has a law written against it.

It’s more socially acceptable for people to lump all Muslims, gay people or pot smokers into generalized, nondescript groups and pass judgment on all of them as wholes, and that’s closer to what we’re exposed to day-to-day.

The person who says we ought to “ship all the black people back to Africa” — even if it’s a joke, and even if it’s your grandmother who says it — truly just does not get it. This is a person who hasn’t been paying attention at all.

You can’t show a beheader of innocents that beheading an innocent is never worth it. You can’t show a bigot that making generalizations and supporting poverty, abuse or sadness is the biggest misuse of the human spirit.

They end up like animals without free spirits — going about their business completely unaware of the system they’re apart of. And it’s hilarious, since they think they’re the most human, normal, figured-out “people” of all.

At least the animals enjoy themselves.

Will Beaton is the Editor-in-Chief of The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].