Although it is not entirely imperative to be able to empathize at all times, we as helpers of others must, in order to be of service, be able to understand other people's realities. Thus, more than awareness, there must also be a conscious effort to understand other people. It is only through understanding other people's realities that we will be able to create meaning in our lives: the things that we want and do not want to have for ourselves, the situations that we want and do not want to experience. By helping and being of service to others, we are able to identify and differentiate our selves with and against others, respectively. Awareness and service, in effect, ultimately leads to the true objective of the individual in life, which is to create meaning for himself or herself in the world that we live in. This ultimate end is evidently philosophical...

It is important to note, however, that the path towards achieving a personal philosophy in life is arduous, difficult, and never-ending; thus, service to others, and in turn, awareness, is never-ending. Awareness of the realities that people face everyday in life and taking action towards these information received and realized through awareness -- that is, giving service to others -- is a path towards self-realization and -knowledge, pre-requisites towards the development of a personal philosophy in one's life.
Works Cited

Schoenberg, N. And H. Ravdal. (2000). "Using vignettes in awareness and attitudinal research." International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Vol. 3 No.1.