It is singular that it takes us so long to recognize this breadth of sympathy and practise it.  Its practice would relieve us of an immense amount of unnecessary nerve-strain.  But the nerve-relief is the mere beginning of gain to come.  It steadily opens a clearer knowledge and a heartier appreciation of human nature.  We see in individuals traits of character, good and bad, that we never could have recognized whilst blinded by our own personal prejudices.  By becoming alive to various little sensitive spots in others, we are enabled to avoid them, and save an endless amount of petty suffering which might increase to suffering that was really severe.

One good illustration of this want of sympathy, in a small way, is the waiting-room of a well-known nerve-doctor.  The room is in such a state of confusion, it is such a mixture of colors and forms, that it would be fatiguing even for a person in tolerable health to stay there for an hour.  Yet the doctor keeps his sensitive, nervously excited patients sitting in this heterogeneous mass of discordant objects hour after hour.  Surely it is no psychological subtlety of insight that gives a man of this type his name and fame:  it must be the feeding and resting process alone; for a man of sensitive sympathy would study to save his patients by taking their point of view, as well as to bring them to a better physical state through nourishment and rest

The ability to take a nervous sufferer’s point of view is greatly needed.  There can be no doubt that with that effort on the part of friends and relatives, many cases of severe nervous prostration might be saved, certainly much nervous suffering could be prevented.

A woman who is suffering from a nervous conscience writes a note which shows that she is worrying over this or that supposed mistake, or as to what your attitude is towards her.  A prompt, kind, and direct answer will save her at once from further nervous suffering of that sort.  To keep an anxious person, whether he be sick or well, watching the mails, is a want of sympathy which is also shown in many other ways, unimportant, perhaps, to us, but important if we are broad enough to take the other’s point of view.

There are many foolish little troubles from which men and women suffer that come only from tired nerves.  A wise patience with such anxieties will help greatly towards removing their cause.  A wise patience is not indulgence.  An elaborate nervous letter of great length is better answered by a short but very kind note.

The sympathy which enables us to understand the point of view of tired nerves gives us the power to be lovingly brief in our response to them, and at the same time more satisfying than if we responded at length.