Empathy

Grab and drink and get comfortable. Should be a heck of a ride.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• empathy
• sympathy
• religion
• politics
• PeppermintPatti

[Urgelt]

Perhaps it's a misuse of terms, but I tend to think of sympathy as superficial, but also favorably disposed to the object of it, as in "oh, you poor thing."

Empathy seems neutral to me. It's understanding on that deeper level you spoke of, so much so that it's not judgemental; it just is.

I'm curious how the idea of empathy connects with your concept of evil.

[mrmortonblogs]

Oooh, now -that's- a good question! Gotta let that one stew for a bit...

[PeppermintPatti]

I am making a video response for you right now.

[mrmortonblogs]

Can't wait to see it!

[puddysma]

Empathy is a function of the spirit which connects us; sympathy, the human which allows us the IDEA of connection despite the disconnect. We are neither totally human nor spiritual. The spirit abides even if we deny it...pretty hard to deny our physicality. You said enlightenment in the Eastern sense is when we abandon who we are(our idea of our own individuality), becoming One with the universe. In that reality we do not BECOME anything, only AWARE of what we already are.

[mrmortonblogs]

That's one type of Eastern philosophy. There are others as well that follow the abandonment of the self.

[twilight2cute]

umm, well, it really bothers me tht some people say, "ooh, empaths aren't real, they're just our imagination" or tht we're evil. those people wouldn't kno if empaths exist or not. i am an empath. if i'm going to have a good day, it all depends in what others are feeling. i dislike when people think they get it, but they don't. its not their fault, but still...

[Lazlo7321]

...Have all cultures naturally develop a golden rule predicated from empathy?

[Lazlo7321]

Thank-you for sharing your thoughts.

Nice comment defining youtube as an "Empathy Box"

A method I use for studying/understanding big topics like this is to look at past cultures/civilizations that have no concept of certain words. Like the Native American's that never conceptualized "land ownership" or Aborigines that never developed "freedom/law" paradigms like we have today. I'm not sure how empathy would fit into these cultures but might be worth the research....

[basicallyShane]

I think 'political ponerology' would help a lot in understanding a lot of the issues you bring up. I don't think we are all the same. it appears that there are some who are 'almost human' - who lack empathy: psychopaths. when an ideology comes under their influence it seems to divide humanity.

[hungerfordj]

I think you need to take one step further back. The reason we can feel empathy is imagination. We are able to internally conjure up our experiences into all sorts of shapes and combinations; i.e. we can simulate an experience we have not actually had. Through imagination we can share in another's internal experience (=empathy). Imagination is what makes us human.

[BreeinOC]

few ppl are capable of empathy. if a person has not had the same or similar experience they can not relate. they do not have the life experience to understand or take the time to even attempt to understand. they are busy with their own life and incapable of extending energy to understand another person. some simply do not care.

[SirSpike888]

Recognition of potentital tabula-rasa?

[redcurrant5]

Isn't empathy a device that people use to manipulate each other?...Selfishness or altruism only really apply, (and perhaps I'm stating the obvious here), with a sense of "self" and subjectivity... Beyond this cynical perspective, there is of course the sheer comfort from receiving empathy...isn't sympathy a euphemism for patronization?