As the calendar turned to January 1, 2026, the quest for a defining "Word of the Year" for 2025 concluded. However, a more profound question emerges from the editorial desk of UPSC Essentials at The Indian Express: in an era marked by anxiety and fragmentation, shouldn't we instead seek a "Value of the Year"? Ethicist Nanditesh Nilay presents a compelling case, arguing that while trendy words fade, a consciously chosen ethical value can guide societies for decades.
From Buzzwords to Lasting Values: The Case for 'Empathy'
The year 2025 saw dictionaries capture the digital zeitgeist. Merriam-Webster selected "slop" for low-quality AI content, Oxford chose "rage bait" for provocative online material, and Cambridge picked "parasocial" for one-sided relationships with celebrities and AI. These terms reflect our times but are inherently transient. A value, in contrast, possesses enduring power. To identify the value 2026 desperately needs, one must look at the persistent crises of 2025, like the choking air pollution in Delhi and the NCR, and ask a simple, haunting question: why does our collective action only follow destruction?
This pattern of reactive, rather than preventive, response points to a critical deficit in our public and private decision-making. The missing ingredient, according to Nilay, is empathy. It is the value that could shift our focus from crisis management to compassionate foresight. Why is our empathy so selective, activating only when tragedy touches the powerful or the death toll becomes a headline?
Living in a BANI World: Brittle, Anxious, and Empathy-Deprived
The context for this argument is framed by futurist Jamais Cascio's BANI framework—Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible—which has supplanted the older VUCA model. Our world, Cascio suggests, appears robust on the surface but is hollow and fragile underneath. This brittleness fuels a pervasive anxiety, replacing reasoned action with impulsive reactions.
In this environment, as Elon Musk has noted, we often practice only "shallow empathy." Our lives, bound by transactional values, have led to a crumbling of genuine compassion. We are becoming increasingly self-centered and detached, concerned only when a problem knocks on our own door. This is evident in our collective response to tragedies, from stampedes to infrastructure collapses, where systemic awakening occurs only under intense spotlight or high casualties.
The non-linear and incomprehensible nature of the BANI world further complicates long-term planning. When everything feels urgent, we fail to comprehend the deeper reasons behind humanity's drift towards uncertainty and cruelty. Why must human life be entangled in the fear of pollution forcing exodus from one's own city? The answer lies in a fundamental disconnect that only empathy can bridge.
The Femur Story: Why Deep Empathy is the Foundation of Civilization
The call for empathy is not merely philosophical; it is foundational to human civilization. Nilay invokes the powerful "Femur Story" attributed to anthropologist Margaret Mead. A healed femur bone, she argued, is the first sign of civilization. In the wild, a broken thigh bone means certain death. Its healing proves that someone cared for, fed, and protected the injured individual during recovery.
This story underscores that the bedrock of humanity is compassion and community care, not just tools or technology. In matters of life and death, people are not mere data points to be computed by AI; they are beings to be connected with through empathy. This deep empathy, as Musk differentiates, means caring profoundly for the victims—the innocent people affected by pollution, negligence, or violence—rather than a shallow concern that often misplaces its focus.
As 2026 unfolds, the proposal is clear: to consciously adopt Empathy as the Value of the Year. It is a value that does not require a dictionary's vote but a collective commitment from humanity. Just as individuals set New Year resolutions, societies can choose and uphold core values, adding more along the way to navigate an increasingly complex world.
The challenge, as posed by UPSC Essentials, is for each reader to reflect: What is your 'Value of the Year' for 2026? The hope is that empathy will light the path toward a more humane and resilient future for all.
