5 ms·
I am not sure of the reason but I think some people are more capable of empathy than others and I think people confuse empathy and sympathy. A lot of the peopl
by okreallywtf 9y ago
I am not sure of the reason but I think some people are more capable of empathy than others and I think people confuse empathy and sympathy.
A lot of the people I meet who are less concerned with these problems do so across the board - unless it directly affects them or they've personally lived through those exact same issues they cannot (or will not?) empathize. It takes direct personal experience to change their minds. I think people who won't/cant empathize have a more simplistic view of the world as well - if you are poor you are lazy, everyone starts relatively similarly and what happens to you is mostly (if not all) related to the effort you've put in because maybe that has been their personal experience. I've been lucky enough to relate to this because I haven't had anything directly holding me back (that I am aware of), so my success or lack of success is more directly attributable to my choices and work ethic than people in worse situations than me but that doesn't prevent me from seeing how circumstances dictate choices and opportunities.
I also think that there is as psychological aspect to this in that a lack of empathy also allows people who are not poor or homeless to feel as though they achieved it. Even if they are lower-middle class average people, they've achieved more than someone who is truly poor or homeless but this is just from personal observation, I think you have the same types of "self-made-person" feelings at every level of the socioeconomic ladder.
- NotSammyHagar 9y agoThe perfect example of not having empathy unless it directly affects you are the endless conservative politicans who don't like rights for gay people until their own kid comes out as gay. It's so frustrating to me, this lack of empathy.
- okreallywtf 9y agoI was thinking the exact same thing but I feel bad about turning everything into a political statement but I do agree. Most of my conservative friends have at least 1 issue they are "liberal" on, because they, a friend, or relative are affected by the issue but it never seems to cause them to re-evaluate their stance on other issues which is always frustrating.
- quantumwannabe 9y agoI'm sure there's at least one issue that you lean "conservative" on, yet you've not taken up conservative positions on other issues. Why would your friends behave any differently? From their perspectives, you frustrate them just as much as they frustrate you.
- okreallywtf 9y agoIt is entirely possible, but as much as we would like there to be symmetry in all things its not always the case. I'm willing to make concessions on plenty of issues but these days everything seems to be a catch 22 (for example, abortions and access to contraceptives).
- PlugTunin 9y agoThe psychology behind empathy is really interesting. I try to avoid inserting politics into any discussion, but this NYT's article suggests that one's values are a determinant of their capacity to empathize...or more specifically, whether a person has individualizing or binding social values. Where one stands on this correlates to whether they are progressive or conservative in their thinking -- and by extension, in their political views. I guess if it was easy to talk about the socio without the political, there wouldn't be a word that combines the two: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/opinion/sunday/who-blames-the-victim.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/opinion/sunday/who-blames...