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Another look at empathy

Started by Dave, February 22, 2017, 08:39:38 PM

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Dave

I have put this here because I feel this is an important part of our understanding others in this world. It also involves objective and subjective views, pragmatism and emotion.

It is an article in The Guardian.

QuoteSome argue that, far from motivating pro-social behaviours, empathy can push us towards inaction at best and racism and violence at worst
QuoteRespondents in brain imaging studies showed significantly less empathy if the person they observe experiencing pain belongs to a different race, social class or an opposing football team or political party.

Article
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

No one

I hate everyone equally. It matters not what patch of Earth you call home, what sex you are, what sex you are attracted to, your social status, what god you worship, or anything else shit brained humans use to dissect themselves into countless flocks.

Plain and simple, if you are human, I fucking hate you!

Magdalena

Quote from: No one on February 22, 2017, 11:46:31 PM
I hate everyone equally. It matters not what patch of Earth you call home, what sex you are, what sex you are attracted to, your social status, what god you worship, or anything else shit brained humans use to dissect themselves into countless flocks.

Plain and simple, if you are human, I fucking hate you!
Are you god?
Only god hates us, humans, that much.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

No one

mags:
Are you god?
Only god hates us, humans, that much.


No, I exist.

Recusant

I like how the article explains the shortcomings of relying on empathy alone as a guide to moral choices. I don't know that such an approach is all that common though.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Arturo

Quote from: Recusant on February 23, 2017, 12:12:31 AM
I like how the article explains the shortcomings of relying on empathy alone as a guide to moral choices. I don't know that such an approach is all that common though.

I agree, and I actually looked at the story objectively first and empathetic second. Then I thought why not reorganize the list to priority first? Going against the notion that empathy will make you drown out groups.

I also think they could have touched on the compassion training a bit more instead of relegating it to a footnote. It just seems to me that this piece was designed to create a division between people who will react in different ways by saying "science calls empathy bad" and leaving people to either agree or disagree.

In counseling there are ways to use empathy to help people work through their problems and get them to figure things out for themselves while still making them feel good. It's not a super fast approach to changing the world, but it ensures people don't slip through the cracks when you talk to them. It comes with an emotional drain as well, just like the article said, which is another reason I think they should have touched on this compassion training to give people an alternative. Instead they just say, "everything you think you know about being nice is wrong". Sends a negative message and is one reason I don't like the media.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Magdalena

Quote from: No one on February 23, 2017, 12:10:09 AM
mags:
Are you god?
Only god hates us, humans, that much.


No, I exist.
:rimshot:
Good one.
:snicker:

But seriously...
No one exists? That doesn't make any sense.  :notsure:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Arturo

Quote from: Magdalena on February 23, 2017, 04:19:19 AM
Quote from: No one on February 23, 2017, 12:10:09 AM
mags:
Are you god?
Only god hates us, humans, that much.


No, I exist.
:rimshot:
Good one.
:snicker:

But seriously...
No one exists? That doesn't make any sense.  :notsure:

Well we are in the philosophy section of HAF.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Tank

Quote from: No one on February 23, 2017, 12:10:09 AM
mags:
Are you god?
Only god hates us, humans, that much.


No, I exist.
We only have the word of an advanced Turing machine on that.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Gloucester on February 22, 2017, 08:39:38 PM
I have put this here because I feel this is an important part of our understanding others in this world. It also involves objective and subjective views, pragmatism and emotion.

It is an article in The Guardian.

QuoteSome argue that, far from motivating pro-social behaviours, empathy can push us towards inaction at best and racism and violence at worst
QuoteRespondents in brain imaging studies showed significantly less empathy if the person they observe experiencing pain belongs to a different race, social class or an opposing football team or political party.

Article

You have to go against your own nature and appeal to a higher principle when dealing with emotions. Otherwise your tribal instincts will allow you to have empathy for members of the tribe or team, and not for anyone else. When you love your enemy, you have demonstrated appeal to a higher principle. When you hate your enemy but love your friend, you've just followed emotion. Those higher principles come from us abstracting our emotional experience through rational thought, looking for universal ideas through a logical distillation process.  Empathy is the corn mash, universal love and human rights is the whiskey.

Arturo

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 02, 2017, 01:00:37 PM
Quote from: Gloucester on February 22, 2017, 08:39:38 PM
I have put this here because I feel this is an important part of our understanding others in this world. It also involves objective and subjective views, pragmatism and emotion.

It is an article in The Guardian.

QuoteSome argue that, far from motivating pro-social behaviours, empathy can push us towards inaction at best and racism and violence at worst
QuoteRespondents in brain imaging studies showed significantly less empathy if the person they observe experiencing pain belongs to a different race, social class or an opposing football team or political party.

Article

You have to go against your own nature and appeal to a higher principle when dealing with emotions. Otherwise your tribal instincts will allow you to have empathy for members of the tribe or team, and not for anyone else. When you love your enemy, you have demonstrated appeal to a higher principle. When you hate your enemy but love your friend, you've just followed emotion. Those higher principles come from us abstracting our emotional experience through rational thought, looking for universal ideas through a logical distillation process.  Empathy is the corn mash, universal love and human rights is the whiskey.

There is also something to be said about finding something you like about people you don't like.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Arturo on March 02, 2017, 08:21:00 PM

There is also something to be said about finding something you like about people you don't like.

Yes, but those sorts of exercises have to be undertaken intentionally. Otherwise you'll just stay with your innate prejudices. It's hard to rise above base instincts.