Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
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Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#2It seems like the type of empathy taught in the 1970s had a very specific purpose: prevent the world they knew from going up in flames through nuclear war.
And the type of tribal empathy people show together has the same purpose: prevent their world (in the form of values, customs, traditions, and other things they hold sacred) from going up in flames through inaction and the erosion of others not holding those believes.
It makes me wonder how much empathy is coupled with fear. I've read that the post-WW2 unionized capitalism, the Marshall plan, all of the egalitarian civil society built up in the 50s and beyond was supported by the capitalist elite because just about everything was viewed as superior to the devastation of WW2. People were willing to sacrifice some of their personal wealth because the alternative was losing all of it, and oftentimes their lives as well.
Memories of war have faded from most of the developed world. Perhaps it'll take a refresher before people remember why all of those institutions that preserve social stability were necessary in the first place.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#3Seems like a call for what used to be called enlightened self interest-- the knowledge that "there but for the grace of God go I, or any man" can also be read as a call for a less punishing, more compassionate way of life.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#4Tribal instincts are super strong, that's been proven over and over again [citation needed]. I'm afraid long-term empathy for the sake of Other can't work. It only seems to work when people still remember major disasters and wars. It's inevitable these fade away, isn't it? (except for very, very long term, when evolution and/or genetic engineering might change this)
In my country anti-Muslim sentiment is strong, made stronger by the government and its alliance with the church. When I see people get carried away, I often recommend them to learn more about Muslims to "know your enemy better". It's a trick and I think we need further studies to see if it's more likely to backfire (people hit another group they perceive as enemy much harder because they now know their weaknesses) or work towards peace and cooperation.
(I'm not a fan of any religion myself, as for Islam my main beef is it doesn't distinguish between the religion and the secular state. It can therefore be called a form of totalitarianism)
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#5Or just not caring is a step up from hating. Having no opinions is better than having hate. What seems to have happened in America is that the blue collar working class has become disenfranchised both economically and before Trump politically because of business decisions made by the executive class and they want someone to blame.
Nobody forced America to move all of its blue collar jobs to China and the 3rd world, that was a political decision. Though you can make up reasons of why it's economically impossible now to compete with 3rd world manufacturing these are post-hoc arguments. Before the fact it was perfectly possible to continue to manufacture goods in the US by moving manufacturing to poorer states and innovating as much as possible to keep the costs down.
The wealthy in America have no empathy for the poor and the poor hate on the immigrants while not correctly assigning the blame for their economic woes.
Going forward with this whole basic income idea, it's likely the executive class will try to turn it into a work for food and housing program. Where you can get a basic income but you have to work for it at jobs the companies don't really need to employ for but are simply offering to increase employment in return for a basic income check. That will offset any amount that the companies pays for basic income taxes.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#6If I show you a kindness, will you reciprocate, do nothing or try to extract more?
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#7If I show you a kindness, will you reciprocate, do nothing or try to extract more?
> If I show you a kindness, will you reciprocate, do nothing or try to extract more?
Showing kindness is not enough. Kindness has to be taught, and baked into our social norms for it to work. If it is, then yes, people will reciprocate.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#8Tribal instincts are super strong, that's been proven over and over again [citation needed]. I'm afraid long-term empathy for the sake of Other can't work. It only seems to work when people still remember major disasters and wars. It's inevitable these fade away, isn't it? (except for very, very long term, when evolution and/or genetic engineering might change this) In my country anti-Muslim sentiment is strong, made…
> Tribal instincts are super strong, that's been proven over and over again
Tribal instincts aren't as strong as you think. Every civil and egalitarian right that people have gained since the enlightenment are the result of overcoming tribal instincts. The definition of a "tribe" is more often than not mostly a social construct. If society can set it up, it can tear it down.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#9Tribal instincts are super strong, that's been proven over and over again [citation needed]. I'm afraid long-term empathy for the sake of Other can't work. It only seems to work when people still remember major disasters and wars. It's inevitable these fade away, isn't it? (except for very, very long term, when evolution and/or genetic engineering might change this) In my country anti-Muslim sentiment is strong, made…
> Tribal instincts are super strong, that's been proven over and over again Tribal instincts aren't as strong as you think. Every civil and egalitarian right that people have gained since the enlightenment are the result of overcoming tribal instincts. The definition of a "tribe" is more often than not mostly a social construct. If society can set it up, it can tear it down.
Tribal politics affect every social interaction. Family tribe, social tribe, political tribe, all of these subconscious imprints play a role in how we interact (or don't interact) with other people.
I would argue that they are not only human nature, but they are emergent from a set of baser tendencies necessary for self preservation in a reality which is resource and time scarce reality.
Tribal instincts will exist so long as individual compete. That goes for social status too.
Re: Selective Empathy Can Chip Away at Civil Society
#10>young people on average measure 40 percent less empathetic than my own generation — 40 percent!
Meaningless without context.