Known for his deep empathy for the struggles of the working class and his unflinching examinations of social injustice, Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck often used his fiction to explore what connects — and divides — human beings. This line, taken from a 1938 journal entry later cited in Susan Shillinglaw’s 1994 introduction to “Of Mice and Men,” highlights one of his lifelong themes: In the fight between good and evil, compassion begins with understanding. Writing during a turbulent era marked by economic hardship and looming war, Steinbeck recognized that cruelty often grows out of fear and ignorance. His words still echo today, reminding us that in a world increasingly divided by politics, culture, and technology, kindness is still possible when we make the effort to truly see and understand each other.