4 ms·

With great intelligence comes great empathy. Sadly many do not understand that and cannot close the perceived gap between the two.

ThrowawayR2 4y ago
> "With great intelligence comes great empathy." I have met more than my fair share of talented engineers, some with stacks of patents, who would happily stab colleagues in the back for their next promotion. Even within the hallowed halls of academe, it is well known that competition is vicious for grants and tenure and abuse of graduate students is commonplace.
- smugma 4y ago
  It seems as if compassion and empathy are orthogonal to brilliance. I hear enough stories that fall on both ends of the spectrum (tech founders appear to lean asshole, but amongst Nobel prize winners, I feel it's more balanced) that I don't think there's any correlation between the two.
  - gumby 4y ago
    > I hear enough stories that fall on both ends of the spectrum (... amongst Nobel prize winners, I feel it's more balanced) I think that if you have a gong like that you can relax some of your insecurities. The only nobelists (& equivalent) I have known* have all been supportive in person, though some of them did not have a reputation for it. The reason I put "can" in italics is that there's no guarantee: some people are simply jerks and for some people a great honor will simply increase their impostor syndrome. * don't get the wrong idea: I'm not talking about a huge number.
    - smugma 4y ago
      I take it back. I don’t know any Nobel winners directly but know a few one degree of separation out (Physics, Econ, and two Biology), and the people I know who worked with them all said good things about them. However, go down a notch to just professors and there was a lot more ego and maybe more drive than curiosity. Politics likely more intense than in corporate world and egos just as large, but maybe fewer assholes?
- oumua_don17 4y ago
  >> happily stab you in the back for their next promotion That means you met intelligent people who did not imbibe good virtues & values in life, hence their attitude was not free from cunningness. Hence they did not possess any great intelligence!
  - Koshkin 4y ago
    Well, it is not a secret that intelligence has evolved in the animal world as a weapon of survival.
    - CoastalCoder 4y ago
      > intelligence has evolved in the animal world as a weapon of survival. Your point sounds interesting, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Are you saying that greater intelligence caused some species to crowd out their less-intelligent cousins? If so, how would we be certain of that? I mean, it seams plausible, but I'm not familiar enough with natural history to see why it's the best explanation for the historical record.
      - Koshkin 4y ago
        Not necessarily to crowd out, but its possible role in the extinction of the Neanderthals would be a good case in point.
- BurningFrog 4y ago
  Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions. Despite common usage, it doesn't preclude using that ability to crush those people if useful...
  - technothrasher 4y ago
    You are speaking about cognitive empathy (the ability to sense other's emotions), while the "common usage" you are describing is known as affective empathy (the ability to share or respond emotionally to emotions in others). Same word, two different concepts.
- la64710 4y ago
  I think the definition of intelligence differs then for me. Intelligence is the capacity to comprehend , understand not just mechanically able to solve a equation. As the periphery of that understanding increases it starts to include others and by extension have the capacity to understand others pain or that what can be called as empathy. Again all these are just words , so I completely will empathize with you if your understanding of the same word differs than mine.
gerdesj 4y ago
No. With great intelligence comes ... something. Define intelligence for starters. Then move on to "great intelligence". Einstein was a man who's brain ended up being removed by what I would call ghouls. ... sad ...
willcipriano 4y ago
I'd say wisdom grants empathy, intelligence is different.
downboots 4y ago
"it's easier to be clever than kind"
mdp2021 4y ago
> With great intelligence comes great empathy I had been trying some evenings ago to construct a convincing 'No True Scotsman' argument, as the criticisms against such form appeared to me quite weak. Well, thank you (I guess).

ThrowawayR2 4y ago

> "With great intelligence comes great empathy." I have met more than my fair share of talented engineers, some with stacks of patents, who would happily stab colleagues in the back for their next promotion. Even within the hallowed halls of academe, it is well known that competition is vicious for grants and tenure and abuse of graduate students is commonplace.

smugma 4y ago
It seems as if compassion and empathy are orthogonal to brilliance. I hear enough stories that fall on both ends of the spectrum (tech founders appear to lean asshole, but amongst Nobel prize winners, I feel it's more balanced) that I don't think there's any correlation between the two.
- gumby 4y ago
  > I hear enough stories that fall on both ends of the spectrum (... amongst Nobel prize winners, I feel it's more balanced) I think that if you have a gong like that you can relax some of your insecurities. The only nobelists (& equivalent) I have known* have all been supportive in person, though some of them did not have a reputation for it. The reason I put "can" in italics is that there's no guarantee: some people are simply jerks and for some people a great honor will simply increase their impostor syndrome. * don't get the wrong idea: I'm not talking about a huge number.
  - smugma 4y ago
    I take it back. I don’t know any Nobel winners directly but know a few one degree of separation out (Physics, Econ, and two Biology), and the people I know who worked with them all said good things about them. However, go down a notch to just professors and there was a lot more ego and maybe more drive than curiosity. Politics likely more intense than in corporate world and egos just as large, but maybe fewer assholes?
oumua_don17 4y ago
>> happily stab you in the back for their next promotion That means you met intelligent people who did not imbibe good virtues & values in life, hence their attitude was not free from cunningness. Hence they did not possess any great intelligence!
- Koshkin 4y ago
  Well, it is not a secret that intelligence has evolved in the animal world as a weapon of survival.
  - CoastalCoder 4y ago
    > intelligence has evolved in the animal world as a weapon of survival. Your point sounds interesting, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Are you saying that greater intelligence caused some species to crowd out their less-intelligent cousins? If so, how would we be certain of that? I mean, it seams plausible, but I'm not familiar enough with natural history to see why it's the best explanation for the historical record.
    - Koshkin 4y ago
      Not necessarily to crowd out, but its possible role in the extinction of the Neanderthals would be a good case in point.
BurningFrog 4y ago
Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions. Despite common usage, it doesn't preclude using that ability to crush those people if useful...
- technothrasher 4y ago
  You are speaking about cognitive empathy (the ability to sense other's emotions), while the "common usage" you are describing is known as affective empathy (the ability to share or respond emotionally to emotions in others). Same word, two different concepts.
la64710 4y ago
I think the definition of intelligence differs then for me. Intelligence is the capacity to comprehend , understand not just mechanically able to solve a equation. As the periphery of that understanding increases it starts to include others and by extension have the capacity to understand others pain or that what can be called as empathy. Again all these are just words , so I completely will empathize with you if your understanding of the same word differs than mine.

gerdesj 4y ago

No. With great intelligence comes ... something. Define intelligence for starters. Then move on to "great intelligence". Einstein was a man who's brain ended up being removed by what I would call ghouls. ... sad ...

willcipriano 4y ago

I'd say wisdom grants empathy, intelligence is different.

downboots 4y ago

"it's easier to be clever than kind"

mdp2021 4y ago

> With great intelligence comes great empathy I had been trying some evenings ago to construct a convincing 'No True Scotsman' argument, as the criticisms against such form appeared to me quite weak. Well, thank you (I guess).