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Empathy becomes insulting when it's not empathy. Empathy becomes positively rewarding when it's sincere. What a terrible, link-bait title. 37signals preaches

by lhnz 14y ago

Empathy becomes insulting when it's not empathy. Empathy becomes positively rewarding when it's sincere. What a terrible, link-bait title. 37signals preaches honesty and hits me with that? Edit: Real empathy is never insulting.

benatkin 14y ago
The humans that they hire for the most part have empathy for other human beings. It's a part of their personality. It shows up consistently in what they do. Since they talk to people at their jobs, there's going to be empathy.
- lhnz 14y ago
  I disagree with you. Sit in a call centre with no ability to fix people's problems and you'll realise that people are angry with you and that some are rude to you. Do this for long enough and you'll stop empathising with them back. You will just be going through the motions.
  - mnicole 14y ago
    Why would you expect people to be okay with the fact that the support center they called can't help them? You literally have one job to do and that is managing their emotions and feeding them [falsely] empathetic lines in a tone that doesn't lose their loyalty. That's why people don't last in call centers; it's often just an intentional waste of resources to buffer you from the people who can do something about your issue because they don't care.
  - benatkin 14y ago
    I doubt it, I think they just get really good at rationalizing it, but their personality traits persist. If peoples' personality traits could spin on a dime in the direction of evil, psychologists would probably have an easier time making evil people be good. Empathy is a huge issue, lack of empathy is a factor in most violent crimes that get committed. If I thought DHH were misusing the concept I would have reacted negatively, but I think he was spot on. These people still have empathy, it just winds up feeling forced because they lack the ability to act upon their feelings.

by lhnz 14y ago

benatkin 14y ago

The humans that they hire for the most part have empathy for other human beings. It's a part of their personality. It shows up consistently in what they do. Since they talk to people at their jobs, there's going to be empathy.

lhnz 14y ago
I disagree with you. Sit in a call centre with no ability to fix people's problems and you'll realise that people are angry with you and that some are rude to you. Do this for long enough and you'll stop empathising with them back. You will just be going through the motions.
- mnicole 14y ago
  Why would you expect people to be okay with the fact that the support center they called can't help them? You literally have one job to do and that is managing their emotions and feeding them [falsely] empathetic lines in a tone that doesn't lose their loyalty. That's why people don't last in call centers; it's often just an intentional waste of resources to buffer you from the people who can do something about your issue because they don't care.
- benatkin 14y ago
  I doubt it, I think they just get really good at rationalizing it, but their personality traits persist. If peoples' personality traits could spin on a dime in the direction of evil, psychologists would probably have an easier time making evil people be good. Empathy is a huge issue, lack of empathy is a factor in most violent crimes that get committed. If I thought DHH were misusing the concept I would have reacted negatively, but I think he was spot on. These people still have empathy, it just winds up feeling forced because they lack the ability to act upon their feelings.