Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson for January 31, 2023

Think Queen Prunella will give her another chance to put on the plunger?

I’m guessing Dakota didn’t cry after what happened to Charlotte at the end, right?

She built up a shell, a cold calucalted heartless shell that coudln’t be broken by anything but goblins

No, actually it isn’t Dakota. There may be hope for you yet.

hang in there, Dakota

Dana is a master of expressions!

“Isn’t that horrible?”

Only if it doesn’t stick.

Feeling empathy causes me a lot anguish and sorrow; yet, I refuse to give it up because with empathy I also vicariously experience other people’s joy.

Remember the “path” in empathy is probably from the same root as the “path” in pathological.

(actually, almost surely not. I haven’t checked)

Oh. Empathy. I have a lot of that. Want it?

Empathy? Dakota? Perish the thought!

Gotta agree with Dakota. Having empathy just leads to a lot of people taking advantage of you.

“Empathy”? That sounds like some lefty snowflake soyboy nonsense.

No, seriously. A popular conservative commentator once went on a long annoying rant about how empathy is a negative quality for a leader to have. Ghouls make the best leaders.

It can be. Kind of like writing a character in a story heroically out and then striving madly to find some way yo bring them back without the readers complaining. Thirty-five…no, thirty-six times…

When you’re at an age when you’re figuring out who you are, being in another person’s place can be scary: you’re afraid you won’t be able to get back.

No Dakota, it’s not horrible, it’s beautiful, it speaks well of you, of what you have inside of you and what you should let out (it’s just my opinion)

Oh no, not empathy! A shallow person’s worst nightmare!

I think Sunset Shimmer has some things to say to Dakota now.

There have been several occasions when Dakota has seemed to have hinted the glimmer of maturing, yet each time she has immediately shown her true colours again, and I strongly suspect—nay, predict—this time will be no different.

I will be pleasantly surprised if this time I am proven wrong, but I do not think I will be. I suppose it is simply the “nature of the beast”: Dakota is, as a character, portrayed as a specific “type” and, for the purpose of the strip, will always remain so. Completely understandable, but regrettable in my opinion (for what that is worth; after all, don’t we all have opinions?)I, for one, would like seeing Dakota mature a bit more; as well, see Phoebe’s and Dakota’s “frenemy” status grow a bit warmer, too. Perhaps by introducing a shared antagonist and/or complication that requires, at times, a (perhaps even grudgingly) cooperative collaboration. Dakota seems to reveal, at times, hidden depths. However, each time she has in the past, those depths have quickly been concealed by swirling murk, with only the shallowness we have come to associate with her remaining to sight. Perhaps, this time, it will be different. Only time will tell.

Poor Dakota. Feel all these emotions for the first time must be really hard.

It’s enough to make you want to blart!

Empathy is something everyone should have more of. It would be a better place for all of us…..

but, like, am i dakota now? Hahahaha

Well, amazing – Dakota experiencing empathy?! There’s hope for her! 8)

Maybe not on the level of Gem from STOR episode “The Empath” but go for it Dakota. BTW one of my fave episodes.

Sadly, the lady who played Gem (Kathryn Hays) died last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Hays

Empathy, like old age, is not for the faint of heart.

Welcome to reading, Dakota. Hope it stays with you for a lifetime.