Empathetic Civilization by Jeremy Rifkin

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-rifkin/the-empathic-civilization_b_41658...

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• empathic
• civlization
• emergent culture

[TheCrystalRivers]

Ran across this book today and was curious about it, big ass book so didn't want to invest w/o some more investigation... So I thought it was really cool to run across your channel (not even thinking about the book any longer) maybe half and hour later and then see that you had posted a vid about it . I'm thinking this meaningful coincidence has me leaning against getting the book, but just thought I'd share, and thank you for sharing : )

[thepathlesspath]

Cool. Nice synchronicity going on here. Glad you received value from the video!

[idork]

I have to disagree with his thesis a little bit. Isn't that oversimplifying a bit? I do think that human beings have learned to cooperate more over time, but not from empathetic motivations, from purely selfish motivations of wanting to be secure and prosper. A harmonious society obviously is one fueled by a semblance of empathy, even if the individuals motivations for it are purely selfish.

[thepathlesspath]

That's a really good point. Empathy is something that is cultivated and grown but it seems a lot of our impulses and intentions are largely, at first, very selfish. This would make sense evolutionarily. The mammalian brain wasn't "innate," in that sense, it took a long time to develop new levels of social complexity/emotions that we didn't have off-the-bat.

[5jeanbittersweet]

This is one of the few times I will buy the book someone has vlogged about! Very inspiring, along the pathway that I choose to take for myself and wish to develop.Thank you so much for this. Namaste

[infokemp]

Great vid

[infokemp]

Are you familiar with stoic philosophy.

All the best

Infokemp

[TheCrystalRivers]

Thanks, I'll keep it on the maybe list :)

[2bsirius]

It's a really good book, and worth your time IMO.

[thepathlesspath]

Could it also be that the way in which we are cultured to empathize (vicariously through television, drama, news stations) nulls us to developing real empathy? I think we could care about everyone. IE the Buddhists practice Lojong meditation.

[WtfJuju]

Alienated. If indeed, we are somehow favored to act this way by an evolutionary trait, how does one arrive at this mentality.How does so much apathy come about? Is it merely an issue of dualism? empathy must have apathy? We cant all care about everything? Why? It would seem like something great.

[WtfJuju]

I agree in that, i also dont think we can lose it completely(i'v been saying "loose", lol) but, i can asure you, we can lose it to the point that, human suffering doesnt affect at all. Lets take haiti for example,simply out of convenience, I find it hard to care for those people. This is the reasoning that comes to mind. People are dying every second of every day. Does it matter how that end comes about? If i care for those in Haiti, should i care for every other living being? Detached.