What are your thoughts on empathy? Are you an empathetic person?

[RuneWarrior]

I would definitely consider myself to be empathetic and I see it as a weakness.

 

[Cabelaz]

Empathy for others, especially those you don't even know is pretty based in my book, and I believe humanity and our problems would benefit from a little bit more empathy.

It does inhibit my ability to enjoy some lolcows though, which sucks.

 

[Cool Username]

I would definitely consider myself to be empathetic and I see it as a weakness.

Why do you think it's a weakness?

 

[SouthernBitchBob]

Depends. When a lot of people talk about "empathy", the concept they're referencing is a useless capacity for overhyping one's own investment in a situation; it's a circlejerk that spoiled people with no problems enter to boast over who caaaaares the most, and it's entirely about stroking the ego of the people competing in this contest. Who can make the loudest thud when she flings herself at her fainting couch because she's the "most upset". Who can use the most adjectives when he flounces away from a Twitter thread because the plight of the plebs makes him so aaaaaangry.

That sort of empathy should be mocked at every turn. Actually giving a shit about people you're close to? That's an important life skill.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

"Empathy" is a big lie. The bleeding heart liberal who'll tell you that you lack empathy will smile when he heard about Texans freezing to death. Like the atheist that will use religious arguments why your worldview is wrong, it's just a cynical way to make people feel bad for their views.

Almost everyone are empathic but that empathy is reserved primarily for people who are close to us (or those we judge as deserving that right) and people we can see ourselves as.

The idea anyone should feel automatically bad for "underprivileged" groups (put in quotation marks because those groups universally either squander any opportunity to change for the better, or are far more privileged than others) is insane and runs contrary to the way humanity functioned since its inception.

 

[Adolphin]

Empathetic to the ones I love, merciless to the ones I hate.

 

[Cool Username]

I see some comments saying that trying to empathize with absolutely everyone is pointless. It makes sense because some people, no matter how deep they're drowning in shit, don't deserve empathy.

But, as I mentioned in the OP, what made me give up on feminism was how unempathetic and ruthless feminists could be.
To me, the first rule for every social movement is "monkey doesn't kill monkey". It means that if a woman is invested in other women's wellbeing, she can't commit violence towards those she doesn't agree with. So she can't be like "I hope they get punched, fired from their jobs and raped" and then cry for women who are punched, fired and raped. Because that makes her a hypocritical bitch.

I suppose it isn't a question of empathy, as I thought before, but a question of common sense. So, I could never be a feminist because I do wish ill to certain women and I don't pity them.

 

[Odnovo]

I have it within me to feel the pain of another as I see it, but I know that simply because someone is a victim, doesn't mean that they are worthy of your sympathy.

 

[Deep Th0ts]

Yes and no. My natural impulse is to understand and be helpful but I've had my empathy turned against me as a tool to manipulate me into doing something I didn't agree with many times. Experience has taught me that I can feel the feels and still see that the person causing those feelings is a piece of shit who doesn't deserve my help or understanding.

I don't think empathy has a place in politics other than as a weapon and if someone is trying to sell me on a particular group's "struggle", I am inclined to believe they are basically a door to door salesman trying to get me to buy a $2000 vaccuum I don't want or need. Give me facts, stfu about feelings and keep law nice and boring like it should be.

 

[melty]

I always thought of empathy as a feeling you can't really control, like when you see someone hurting and you feel bad for them or even get upset, or even just feeling secondhand embarrassment. I don't think of it as something you make an effort toward or willfully shut off, though I can say my empathy toward certain situations has lessened over time as I've gotten older and recognized many situations are not quite what they seem, and just feeling overwhelmed with the large amount of suffering in the world. It's hard to feel anything after the 10,000th time reading about some kid dying for no reason, knowing that it's happening pretty much constantly somewhere.

Then again, I took some empathy quotient test and got a garbage score, like barely above autistic, so maybe I just have no idea. I don't think it's the same one you guys are taking though because it only had 60 questions.

 

[TiredAndInked]

I'm honestly not sure if this is empathetic, but if my friends are dealing with shite they can't control. I'll feel bad and try to help out if possible.

 

[L50LasPak]

It's difficult to argue with the idea that its always a bad thing. I can't really think of any point in my life where having it really helped me out or did anything useful. I'm rather envious of those people who don't have it, but then again I feel like they have it anyway and are just good at lying about it. I suppose I'm envious of that too.

 

[Justin d Tipp]

Empathy without boundaries leads to exploitation. That type of emotional manipulation can go both ways.

The ability to genuinely feel empathetic is one thing. The process of actually acting on those feeling is another.

If you are incapable of feeling empathy. Try emulating empathetic actions with family and loved ones.

Both whales and submarines move through water. The submarine does not 'swim' per se, but the end result is identical.

 

[Question Mark]

View attachment 2210782

This test is bullshit. Doesn't fucking work.

Get on my level

 

[TFT-A9]

Wonder if I can game it to get 0/80

 

[Question Mark]

Psychopathy is based and redpilled, and empathy is fucking gay. Empaths are cucks that want to do gay shit like give food to nigs so that they don't starve. I sometimes wonder if the world would have less suffering if everyone was a psychopath. Even if there's more murder and corruption and shit, people wouldn't have faggot emotions like guilt, and would never feel bad for other people when anything bad happens.

 

[Question Mark]

I often fantasize about being a genocidal warlord like Genghis Khan or William the Bastard. The orgasmic pleasure of victory and the utter domination over millions of other human beings sounds like fun.

 

[Rome's rightful successor]

Empathetic to the ones I love, merciless to the ones I hate.

This is ultimately the right idea. Empathy goes both ways unlike sympathy. You can absolutely scorn something just by understanding it more just as you can embrace a compassion and humility for something just as you understand it. Empathy leads us to express our humanity in all of it's forms. Empathy allows us to see the good and evil of humanity in this world and be that as well.

 

[Adolphin]

This is ultimately the right idea. Empathy goes both ways unlike sympathy. You can absolutely scorn something just by understanding it more just as you can embrace a compassion and humility for something just as you understand it. Empathy leads us to express our humanity in all of it's forms. Empathy allows us to see the good and evil of humanity in this world and be that as well.

Unfortunately, the term empathy has been grossly misused. Being able to understand another individual and his emotions does not mean that you become a cuck to said, individual. This ability is something that psychopaths lack and leads to their ultimate downfall. They are unable to properly gauge the behaviour of their peers, which contributes to them creating toxic and unsustainable environments.

 

[White Trash Motorsport]

I think too many people, especially those who like to claim to be highly empathetic, mistake pity for empathy. That’s why so many woke incontinent empathisers are able to completely switch it off when it's someone they dislike on the receiving end of some dreadful shit. Pity is far more cold and detached than actual empathy which is why it’s so easy to be performative about it and use it for passive-aggressive bullying and virtue grandstanding, you can only do that if you’re not really very empathetic.
Am I capable of empathy? Of course, but I treat it like a fine cognac or strong weed, something to be used sparingly and only when it’s really appropriate. I‘ll be overflowing with the stuff if some poor guy has his dog stolen for instance, but my well is very dry for those whose shitty situation is due to their own stupid life choices. I refuse to be an enabler and I will not be emotionally manipulated.
Pity is a pat on the head and loudly saying ‘Ahhh, poor you, so sad!’ while doing nothing to stop them dancing over the precipice except maybe crowdfunding them some nicer shoes to do it in.
I suspect much of this is down to personality types. If we were to go with the Meyers-Briggs bullshit, many Farmers are probably INTP types, therefore we find it impossible to empathise with what to us is obvious fucking lunacy and huddle away here on the boards, laughing, pointing and autistically analysing.