Comments on: The Limits of Sympathy http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/ Not Your Grandfather's Conservatism Thu, 03 Sep 2015 20:20:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.7 By: This Week in Reaction | The Reactivity Place http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-186 Sat, 17 May 2014 06:03:33 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-186 […] Laliberte pens The (Heart)Broken Society; Bennet on how Mises was wrong about value; Glanton on the Limits of Sympathy (or empathy or both); Dampier on the economics of eroding social trust; and fresh of the […]

]]> By: JPOutlook http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-165 Thu, 15 May 2014 20:14:15 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-165 Indeed. A properly focused sympathy is a virtue, however.

How to focus it? Well, that might be the more difficult part… You could start by paying attention to tradition and not fads. Even listening to the Church and encouraging her in her traditionalism. They don’t call it the Good Book and they don’t call it Wisdom for no reason…

]]> By: Mark Yuray http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-156 Wed, 14 May 2014 20:31:00 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-156 Nice article, as usual. Glanton has a very readable style of writing. Social Matter is beginning to strike me as a TakiMag of reaction.

]]> By: John Glanton http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-155 Wed, 14 May 2014 19:56:03 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-155 Well, damn. You’re right about my word choice. Rookie maneuver on my part. The rest of your comment is spot on as well.

]]> By: Xpat Player http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-153 Wed, 14 May 2014 19:25:58 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-153 Excellent article by John, as expected. I only have one tiny bone to pick, however. I believe you are talking about sympathy, not empathy.

These people are taught to sympathize with the weak. If they had empathy, they would understand where Boko Haram’s standpoint came from. They would understand why there is “homophobia” within the NFL.

Empathy is a developed trait – understanding enemies and friends alike. Sympathy, on the other hand, is an inherent trait. Don’t we all feel sorry for those worse off than us?

That is the key difference – empathy is understanding and logic. Sympathy is feeling and emotion. I agree with the core tenet of this article, which is to reduce sympathy. My corollary would be to raise empathy. Instead of eliminating each and every enemy, we need to understand them and where they come from.

]]> By: The Limits of Empathy | Reaction Times http://www.socialmatter.net/2014/05/14/the-limits-of-empathy/#comment-151 Wed, 14 May 2014 17:05:47 +0000 http://www.socialmatter.net/?p=120#comment-151 […] By John Glanton […]

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