Too much understanding is impossible. That's like telling a physicist he knows too much about the laws of physics. Empathy is about understanding social physics - you can never have too much.
"The natural state of human affairs is empathy to the in group and hostility to the out group"
I'd like to see evidence of this claim, but even if it's true, how does it justify harming yourself? So, because you're naturally inclined to respond negatively to a hostile group, you aren't capable of adapting? Social mastery comes from learning how to love the hostile group as well as yourself. You can love someone and still keep them out of your life. You can love someone and decide they are better off being executed rather than continuing to infect society.
"Too much understanding is impossible. That's like telling a physicist he knows too much about the laws of physics. Empathy is about understanding social physics - you can never have too much."
This is such a semantic distinction. Of course people can operate empathetically to a fault, and you know that's what he meant.
When people are charitably appealed in relation to one child in need, they are exponentially more likely to give money than when the appeal centers around a million people in need.
Empathy is useful in small populations, but operating with an overabundance of empathy at a national or global scale leads to your exploitation.
Legislation like "No Child Left Behind" is a good example, so-named to appeal to the empathy of a constituency, when the reality of this policy is that all children are left behind.
It's an overabundance of empathy that leads to international hysteria over one photograph of George Floyd on the ground- the reality that he was a career criminal & an overdosed degenerate can't even begin to counterbalance the empathetic groundswell for 'justice'.
Properly integrated people can restrain their empathy to their families and immediate communities & operate with a rational head in the face of global-scale events, populations, and "pandemics." Poorly integrated adults operate empathetically to a fault and allow themselves to become exploited pawns of those pulling the heartstrings.
Well, that's a very interesting reply. Thank you. I suppose it's possible to spend too much time and effort on empathizing. Most importantly - since you talk about locality - focus your empathy on yourself. Self-introspection, awareness, & understanding will lead to internal peace, happiness, and calmness despite what's going on in the external world.
"You have too much empathy"
Too much understanding is impossible. That's like telling a physicist he knows too much about the laws of physics. Empathy is about understanding social physics - you can never have too much.
"The natural state of human affairs is empathy to the in group and hostility to the out group"
I'd like to see evidence of this claim, but even if it's true, how does it justify harming yourself? So, because you're naturally inclined to respond negatively to a hostile group, you aren't capable of adapting? Social mastery comes from learning how to love the hostile group as well as yourself. You can love someone and still keep them out of your life. You can love someone and decide they are better off being executed rather than continuing to infect society.
"Too much understanding is impossible. That's like telling a physicist he knows too much about the laws of physics. Empathy is about understanding social physics - you can never have too much."
This is such a semantic distinction. Of course people can operate empathetically to a fault, and you know that's what he meant.
How can you operate empathetically to a fault? I'd like to hear your explanation.
When people are charitably appealed in relation to one child in need, they are exponentially more likely to give money than when the appeal centers around a million people in need.
Empathy is useful in small populations, but operating with an overabundance of empathy at a national or global scale leads to your exploitation.
Legislation like "No Child Left Behind" is a good example, so-named to appeal to the empathy of a constituency, when the reality of this policy is that all children are left behind.
It's an overabundance of empathy that leads to international hysteria over one photograph of George Floyd on the ground- the reality that he was a career criminal & an overdosed degenerate can't even begin to counterbalance the empathetic groundswell for 'justice'.
Properly integrated people can restrain their empathy to their families and immediate communities & operate with a rational head in the face of global-scale events, populations, and "pandemics." Poorly integrated adults operate empathetically to a fault and allow themselves to become exploited pawns of those pulling the heartstrings.
Well, that's a very interesting reply. Thank you. I suppose it's possible to spend too much time and effort on empathizing. Most importantly - since you talk about locality - focus your empathy on yourself. Self-introspection, awareness, & understanding will lead to internal peace, happiness, and calmness despite what's going on in the external world.