Great post!
I, for one, would just wish people were much more empathic with each other and far less indifferent. This is a very tall order. If mankind were more empathic, it would be impossible to harm someone without feeling the pain yourself. There would be no murder, no rape, no more hate crimes, no more fear of each other, because we would all feel each other's pain and strive to ensure no one hurts because when one is in pain, all are in pain.
What is fantastic about empathy is the reverse is also true. A single extremely wonderous person could bring joy and excitement to a depressed crowd like an entertainer on a stage. We see this all the time in theaters and public shows (i.e. stand-up comedy, magic shows, etc.). When you laugh at a comedian's joke or stand in awe at a magician's wonderous tricks, you are yielding to his emotions and thus changing your own, even if it's just for the moment.
As you can see, empathy involes these two opposing forces and we already know that emotion is contageous. If you are severely depressed, others will not smile around you. Conversely, if you are excessively happy and do not mind showing it, others cannot frown around you. These facts are proof that mankind is not without some empathy, but I think it's not enough.