Sympathy for the Duvel

Bernard Werber is a French science fiction writer. He used to be a journalist. According to Wikipedia, son œuvre fait se rencontrer mythologie, spiritualité, philosophie, science-fiction, biologie, futurologie, logique ainsi que des données scientifiques peu connues.

Some of his books take the form of mini-encyclopaedae (is that the plural? how am I to know?), where he basically just takes a rake of random enough topics (but usually in some way connected with mythologie, spiritualité, philosophie, science-fiction, biologie, futurologie or logique) and writes articles on said topics. Not necessarily definitions, just articles/essays that are in some way linked to them.

In L'Encyclopédie du Savoir Relativ et Absolu, this is what he had to say about Solidarité, and I'd happen to think that he is pretty much spot on in what he says:

Solidarité

La solidarité nait de la douleur et non de la joie. On se sent plus proche de quelqu'un qui a subi avec vous une épreuve pénible que de quelqu'un qui a partagé avec vous un moment heureux.

Le malheur est source de solidarité et d'union alors que le bonheur divise. Pourquoi? Parce que, lors d'un triomphe commun, chacun se sent lesé par rapport a son propre mérité. Chacun s'imagine etre l'unique auteur d'une commune réussite.

Combien de familles se sont divisées a l'heure d'un héritage? Combien de groupes de rock and roll ont pu rester soudés malgré leur succes? Combien de mouvements politiques ont éclaté, le pouvoir pris? Étymologiquement, le mot sympathie provient d'ailleurs du grec sumpatheia qui signifie souffrir avec. De Meme compassion est issu du latin compassio signifiant lui aussi souffrir avec.

C'est en imaginant la souffrance des martyrs de son groupe de référence qu'on peut un instant quitter son insupportable individualité. C'est dans le souvenir d'un calvaire vécu en commun que résident la force et la cohésion d'un groupe.

With a bit of copying and pasting and Google Translating what we get is this:

Solidarity

Solidarity is born of pain rather than joy. You feel closer to someone who has been with you a painful ordeal as someone who has shared with you a happy event.

The tragedy is a source of solidarity and unity while happiness divides. Why? Because, in a triumph, everyone feels compared lesé has its own deserved. Everyone imagines to be the sole author of a common success.

How many families were divided at the time of an inheritance? How many groups of rock and roll have been able to remain united despite their success? How many political movements have erupted, the power taken? Etymologically, the word sympathy also comes from the Greek meaning sumpatheia which means to suffer with. Similarily, compassion comes from the Latin compassio, which also means to suffer with.

In imagining the suffering of the martyrs of the reference group for a moment that we can leave her unbearable individuality. It is in the memory of the suffering endured in common than residents of force and cohesion of a group.

Wise words, je pense.