Empathy Signs Spark Conversation and Change in the DMV

August 31, 2023 – By Kate Gray

As humans, we love small acts of kindness. Whether it be a random call to a friend to let them know how much you love them, paying for the meal of the stranger behind you at McDonald’s, or helping your elderly neighbor with their groceries, we are hardwired to show compassion and build human connections. An unidentified man resolved to remind people of this core value a couple years ago when he began hanging hand painted signs in the DMV area with one simple word:

Empathy.

In an anonymous interview with NBC4 Washington in April, the man said, “I’m reminding people to think about empathy. Don’t want to tell them what to think, just calling their attention to the process of empathy and allowing them to take it where it leads them.”

For many in the DMV, these daily reminders have done just that. “It’s really encouraging to see in the community because empathy is such an important value that gets lost in the shuffle a lot these days,” said Maryland resident, Em Espey. “I just think if more people took the time to put themselves in somebody else’s shoes there would be a lot more understanding and kindness in the world. And we need that.”

For DMV resident Ed Chavis, the signs spark curiosity: “It really hasn’t impacted me other than trying to understand who and what have put them up.”

While some people haven’t noticed the signs, the consensus among those who have is overwhelmingly positive. As one twitter user said “some people disregard. Others take a moment to think.”

“I see them a lot with my kids and we always wonder where they come from,” another user said. “They look very professionally done and seem to just appear out of nowhere.”

Despite their positive impact in the community, the creator of these signs doesn’t have a permit to hang them. As of late April, at least one sign had been taken down by the Maryland State Highway Administration. “People put up signs for a myriad of things – a business, my dog is lost – that type of thing, but they tend to be one-off or centralized to one area,” said Chavis. “But this is much more broad, so I do think in that situation the county or the police should understand who’s putting them up and why.”

There are currently no plans to remove the empathy signs in Montgomery County, MD, and it appears that no complaints have been filed in other counties. “I think it would be unfortunate if it became such a big deal that they all got taken down. I don’t think it’s a controversial word or issue,” Espey said.

Whether or not law enforcement in the DMV allow the signs to stay up, the artist said he doesn’t want any credit or fame. “I intend to stay anonymous. They are my small effort to help counteract the growing divisiveness in society.”

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