I have a different feeling about empathy -- I believe it's a renewable resource that is always within our power to rekindle. It gets ground down by the exhausting online gladiator arena that rewards the most inflammatory and hostile posts. But we can resist the erosion of a very foundational impulse that holds society together. I wrote a…
I have a different feeling about empathy -- I believe it's a renewable resource that is always within our power to rekindle. It gets ground down by the exhausting online gladiator arena that rewards the most inflammatory and hostile posts. But we can resist the erosion of a very foundational impulse that holds society together. I wrote an article about this recently, curious what you make of it, Steve. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2022/04/transcend-trumpism-we-must-tend-to-suffering-not-celebrate-it/
"I have a different feeling about empathy -- I believe it's a renewable resource that is always within our power to rekindle."
Hmm, yeah interesting! I read your piece, and think maybe you're conflating empathy with compassion, whereas I'm conflating it with sympathy. I'm not sure if one or both or neither of us is right to do that.😄
But either way, I agree with you that empathy can be rekindled. It's just that there are times where it will be at a low ebb, let's say. Especially towards people who we feel are out to get us. It's those times when holding to our principles can keep us on the right path.
I'm not Steve, but I read and enjoyed your article, at least the Nhat Hanh compassion part. Disclosure: I am a marginal flawed Buddhist. I am not a fan of partisan "them bad, us good", but I'll let that slide except to say that I found it distracting.
There was no specific dislike. I tend to react negatively to things strongly partisan. It makes no difference which party it is aimed at. You were not totally without balance, I liked your article, and I agreed with much of what you wrote. Generally, when the word Democrat or Republican appears, broad brush demonization of a whole political party and its people will follow. I don't view people in a monolithic way. I know good people associated with [both] who don't deserve lump demonization. A knee-jerk response. I should not have mentioned it.
I have a different feeling about empathy -- I believe it's a renewable resource that is always within our power to rekindle. It gets ground down by the exhausting online gladiator arena that rewards the most inflammatory and hostile posts. But we can resist the erosion of a very foundational impulse that holds society together. I wrote an article about this recently, curious what you make of it, Steve. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2022/04/transcend-trumpism-we-must-tend-to-suffering-not-celebrate-it/
"I have a different feeling about empathy -- I believe it's a renewable resource that is always within our power to rekindle."
Hmm, yeah interesting! I read your piece, and think maybe you're conflating empathy with compassion, whereas I'm conflating it with sympathy. I'm not sure if one or both or neither of us is right to do that.😄
But either way, I agree with you that empathy can be rekindled. It's just that there are times where it will be at a low ebb, let's say. Especially towards people who we feel are out to get us. It's those times when holding to our principles can keep us on the right path.
Ah yes, the perennial empathy/sympthay/compassion dilemma -- I've given up trying to distinguish them LOL!
I'm not Steve, but I read and enjoyed your article, at least the Nhat Hanh compassion part. Disclosure: I am a marginal flawed Buddhist. I am not a fan of partisan "them bad, us good", but I'll let that slide except to say that I found it distracting.
Was it the part of the article about the Christian Right that you didn't like?
There was no specific dislike. I tend to react negatively to things strongly partisan. It makes no difference which party it is aimed at. You were not totally without balance, I liked your article, and I agreed with much of what you wrote. Generally, when the word Democrat or Republican appears, broad brush demonization of a whole political party and its people will follow. I don't view people in a monolithic way. I know good people associated with [both] who don't deserve lump demonization. A knee-jerk response. I should not have mentioned it.