CDZ A very simple question

[Anathema]

No. I have no use for empathy and never have. I learned early on in life thst nobody else gives a shit if you’re having a bad day, or what your problems are. This hardened me to understand thst the only person I need to look out for is me, and my best interests.

 

[Mac1958]

No. I have no use for empathy and never have. I learned early on in life thst nobody else gives a shit if you’re having a bad day, or what your problems are. This hardened me to understand thst the only person I need to look out for is me, and my best interests.

Well, I think it's pretty clear that you're not the only one who feels that way.
.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

It is funny with all the charitable soup kitchens in America, how anyone can starve to death, but the liberal talking points are to make you think this is happening.

Do you know where the closest "soup kitchen" is in the city I live? Over 35 miles away. There aren't soup kitchens out there next to every McDonalds in the U.S.

It amazes me how hard hearted many Americans are toward the poor. These same Americans seem to have no problems with a government spending trillions on regime change wars and a war machine that benefits only the 1%. It’s hypocrisy on a massive scale.

Why do the poor stay poor? Over 22 trillion dollars has been spent on the war on poverty, yet we still have poor. Is it that they just cant make it or they are just to lazy to work their way out of being poor. Dont give me the "handicap" problem, this guy was handicapped, yet found a way to excel.

LOL. There will always be poor but rather than spending trillions enriching the 1%, which is what our criminal government does, helping the poor makes more sense to me. If we must have a huge omnipresent central government, it should function for the people, not just the 1%. Let’s stop the suffering.

I recognize I’m asking for something that can’t be accomplished, in the current environment.

He doesn't understand how capitalism works. The model depends on there being poor for the richest to take advantage of to maximize profits.

Morgan Feeman disagrees with you. Are you calling this black man a liar?

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

By the way Joe, I have 2 busted up knees, 1 replaced, 2 shoulder operations, a L5 disk removal, and a survivor of Cancer. Did it get me down, no Joe, I deal with it and life as it comes at me, 1 day at a time, and always keep winning...….

Did your employer screw you over professionally when you did? Did you have to fight with your insurance company to get treatment?

In Saudi Arabia, where I worked 5 1/2 years, I blew out my right knee on top of a F-15 when I tried to stand up. I went to the medical clinic and the doctor told me it was a soccer injury where I explained I dont play soccer but was on the aircraft for 4 hours kneeling. He said that when I get back to the states I should seek medical treatment as a workmans comp so when I got to the US doctor, my boss overseas said it was a tennis injury and my insurance should take care of it and use my own medical leave. So I didnt get my knee fixed at the time, went back over seas and finished my 5 1/2 years. Yes, the knew was uncomfortable, yes I eventually had to get it replaced by another company, but today I still have arthritis and am dealing with it. I dont bitch and moan, I try to make more, by using every tax loophole, the liberals have given US...Stupid people pay more in taxes because they dont want to learn how to become rich...My buddy and I in the picture are prime examples of rich, working hard, learning the tricks, using them to the best of our abilities...

 

[sparky]

Empathy is hard wired into humans, and perhaps other species. It is therefore not a subject of 'right' or 'wrong'.

So my guess is that this lack of empathy is no longer confined to the safe anonymity of the internet, but is now infecting our society on a macro scale.

We are now choosing to confuse fundamental human compromise with abject capitulation.

and while you may both well be right, the problem is establishing a metric for it all

~S~

 

[Lewdog]

Do you know where the closest "soup kitchen" is in the city I live? Over 35 miles away. There aren't soup kitchens out there next to every McDonalds in the U.S.

It amazes me how hard hearted many Americans are toward the poor. These same Americans seem to have no problems with a government spending trillions on regime change wars and a war machine that benefits only the 1%. It’s hypocrisy on a massive scale.

Why do the poor stay poor? Over 22 trillion dollars has been spent on the war on poverty, yet we still have poor. Is it that they just cant make it or they are just to lazy to work their way out of being poor. Dont give me the "handicap" problem, this guy was handicapped, yet found a way to excel.

LOL. There will always be poor but rather than spending trillions enriching the 1%, which is what our criminal government does, helping the poor makes more sense to me. If we must have a huge omnipresent central government, it should function for the people, not just the 1%. Let’s stop the suffering.

I recognize I’m asking for something that can’t be accomplished, in the current environment.

He doesn't understand how capitalism works. The model depends on there being poor for the richest to take advantage of to maximize profits.

Morgan Feeman disagrees with you. Are you calling this black man a liar?

That's a logical fallacy called appeal to authority. Do some of your own research in capitalism.

 

[task0778]

It's hard to empathize with someone who attacks you on-line, or even in person because they don't like your politics or religion (or lack thereof), or some other reason. Usually, it's ignorance, or group-think, brainwashing, years of indoctrination, with no effort to understand why someone else has a different opinion. Sometimes a national calamity or catastrophe of some kind unites us for awhile, but all too soon we revert back to our individual pursuits and the divisiveness begins to grow again.

In the US, with so many groups and factions, it's hard to come together all that often cuz we all want what's best for us with not a lot of concern for anyone else. Compassion for others is always desirable, some have it more than others but it ain't easy to achieve. And then there's the problem of agreeing on the solution to be employed, sometimes the compassion is there but we have different ideas for what to do about it. These days, there ain't a lot of agreeing going on about anything.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

Of course. We were sliding down the path towards total political division for quite a while until Prezzie (Im)Peach(ed) dumped us straight into the chasm. I blame him solely for an almost surgical removal of empathy in our current society. When your 'leader' leads by the dehumanization of half the country, where else can you go from there? The fish stinks from the head, and the rot is only going to get worse until a fundamental change is made.

 

[flacaltenn]

If you want to remain in this CDZ discussion, abide by the rules.. Best to answer the OP questions and not go after the other people in the thread...

Moderation has no empathy for folks that can't keep ONE forum civil and useful...

 

[Andylusion]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

I'm against emotionalism. There is nothing wrong with empathy, but it is a broad step from empathizing, and to uniting around bad ideology.

For example, I empathize with people addicted to drugs. That doesn't mean we should hand out needles in California, and then wonder why the number of people on drugs has dramatically increased.

I empathize with homeless. That doesn't mean we should hand out more and more free stuff and money, and then wonder why we have more homeless than ever before.

Emotions are part of human interaction, and are useful for connecting with others.
But emotions are absolutely horrible for building policy, the economy, or society on.

People who live their lives based on emotions, are all train wrecks. If I don't "feel" like I want to stay with my spouse, then I'll leave. 20 years later, after 15 divorces, they are sad lonely people. If I feel like taking yours stuff, then I will. 20 years later, after being in and out of prison multiple times, they are sad lonely poor people.

No one succeeds in life, following their heart, contrary to the garbage Disney movies. If you want to be a world class musician, you have to practice, every day, non-stop for years. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like practicing today.
If you want to be in the Olympics, you have to train every day, non-stop for years on end. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like jogging 3 miles this morning, because it's cold, and you really want pan cakes.

And while all that is true of an individual, it is also all true of a society.

It's sad when people lose their job, and we empathize with them. That doesn't mean we should pay them to not work. It's their job to take care of their lives. And on a personal level, perhaps you can cook them dinner and bring it over, but on a society level, you can't reward bad choices.

Why didn't he find another job? Why didn't he get training during the time he was working? Why didn't he save up money like a responsible person, in case he lost his job?

Rewarding people for bad choices, is how you end up destroying a country.

And you see this mentality in the second post on this thread. Where instead of saying... ok bad stuff happens, what are we going to do to find new employment... he asks.... why are they not blaming wall st, and blaming the bankers, and blaming this group or that group.

That's emotional based logic, that destroys a country, because you are giving people an excuse to not own their choices. Instead lets point fingers, because it makes us feel emotionally good about ourselves.

 

[Mac1958]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

I'm against emotionalism. There is nothing wrong with empathy, but it is a broad step from empathizing, and to uniting around bad ideology.

For example, I empathize with people addicted to drugs. That doesn't mean we should hand out needles in California, and then wonder why the number of people on drugs has dramatically increased.

I empathize with homeless. That doesn't mean we should hand out more and more free stuff and money, and then wonder why we have more homeless than ever before.

Emotions are part of human interaction, and are useful for connecting with others.
But emotions are absolutely horrible for building policy, the economy, or society on.

People who live their lives based on emotions, are all train wrecks. If I don't "feel" like I want to stay with my spouse, then I'll leave. 20 years later, after 15 divorces, they are sad lonely people. If I feel like taking yours stuff, then I will. 20 years later, after being in and out of prison multiple times, they are sad lonely poor people.

No one succeeds in life, following their heart, contrary to the garbage Disney movies. If you want to be a world class musician, you have to practice, every day, non-stop for years. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like practicing today.
If you want to be in the Olympics, you have to train every day, non-stop for years on end. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like jogging 3 miles this morning, because it's cold, and you really want pan cakes.

And while all that is true of an individual, it is also all true of a society.

It's sad when people lose their job, and we empathize with them. That doesn't mean we should pay them to not work. It's their job to take care of their lives. And on a personal level, perhaps you can cook them dinner and bring it over, but on a society level, you can't reward bad choices.

Why didn't he find another job? Why didn't he get training during the time he was working? Why didn't he save up money like a responsible person, in case he lost his job?

Rewarding people for bad choices, is how you end up destroying a country.

And you see this mentality in the second post on this thread. Where instead of saying... ok bad stuff happens, what are we going to do to find new employment... he asks.... why are they not blaming wall st, and blaming the bankers, and blaming this group or that group.

That's emotional based logic, that destroys a country, because you are giving people an excuse to not own their choices. Instead lets point fingers, because it makes us feel emotionally good about ourselves.

I realize the term has emotional connotations, and frankly I don't love using it for that reason. But I don't look at empathy from an emotional perspective at all.

Instead, I want to know the whole picture so I can make better decisions. So I want to know and accurately the motivation, experience, perspective and priorities of the other person. Just as I want THEM to know where I'M coming from. To me, that's a REQUIRED part of dealing with people, isn't it?

I don't understand why it's no longer valued, and I'm not at all surprised that our divisions are increasing correspondingly. Those who seek to divide us ignore and/or distort the motivations of the other for their own benefit, not that of the country.
.

 

[sartre play]

Yes we are in an unsafe place. Not happy too see those we PAY a decent salary, who are suppose take the time & effort & look at all sides of a situation,& work together towards an agreeable solution. Now work exclusively for them self's and the party they are beholden too.

 

[Muhammed]

Do we expect the following Americans to have the same life experiences, opportunities, attitudes, perspectives, motivations, priorities, and worldviews as us?

Or, is it worth it for all of us to at least have a decent & fair understanding of any of that?
.

Your first pic is a child actor playing the part of a fictional character. Will moonbats ever evolve to an extent that they are able to discern fiction from reality? Who knows?

Your second example has zero context. Who are those people? Sure I've been arrested and put into handcuffs plenty of times. So I can certainly empathize with that kid. But it is just a snapshot. It has no context and therefore it says nothing about his outcome.

Your third example looks like some ordinary old man who for one reason or another had to have his teeth pulled, and replaced with dentures or implants. And he is comically making faces for the camera because he knows he looks silly. You can tell because his eyes are looking directly into the camera.

So reasonably, we cannot even begin to speculate regarding their opportunities, attitudes, perspectives, motivations, priorities, and worldviews.

Wouldn't you agree?

Or are you just an ignorant typical Democrat fascist asshole?

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

It amazes me how hard hearted many Americans are toward the poor. These same Americans seem to have no problems with a government spending trillions on regime change wars and a war machine that benefits only the 1%. It’s hypocrisy on a massive scale.

Why do the poor stay poor? Over 22 trillion dollars has been spent on the war on poverty, yet we still have poor. Is it that they just cant make it or they are just to lazy to work their way out of being poor. Dont give me the "handicap" problem, this guy was handicapped, yet found a way to excel.

LOL. There will always be poor but rather than spending trillions enriching the 1%, which is what our criminal government does, helping the poor makes more sense to me. If we must have a huge omnipresent central government, it should function for the people, not just the 1%. Let’s stop the suffering.

I recognize I’m asking for something that can’t be accomplished, in the current environment.

He doesn't understand how capitalism works. The model depends on there being poor for the richest to take advantage of to maximize profits.

Morgan Feeman disagrees with you. Are you calling this black man a liar?

That's a logical fallacy called appeal to authority. Do some of your own research in capitalism.

In the US, there are those who can overcome their handicaps and become very well off, but it takes work. Then there are those who dont want to lead, but will follow so they can enjoy their lives and provide for their families thus being happy. Then there are those who can never be happy, even when they have the most money in the world, because to them they just cant find what they are looking for, thus being a victim, even if the richest man in the world. So they must screw everyone else because then when no one is happy, then it is equality. That is liberal fairness...

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

Of course. We were sliding down the path towards total political division for quite a while until Prezzie (Im)Peach(ed) dumped us straight into the chasm. I blame him solely for an almost surgical removal of empathy in our current society. When your 'leader' leads by the dehumanization of half the country, where else can you go from there? The fish stinks from the head, and the rot is only going to get worse until a fundamental change is made.

You dont think that Oblummer, the brown excrement, caused any division between the rich and poor, the white against colors, educated against non educated? The Marxist playbook of the left is to divide a nation, for then it is easier to conquer the nation, and when Communism takes over, there is no freedom of choice, no freedom to work at a job you like, no freedom to raise a family. Sometimes I think the left are nothing but slaves and need someone to rule them...

 

[Crixus]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

I say 3, but partially 1 as well. No two people will have the exact same position, but both side need to feel okay with what they walk away with. The biggest gripe I hear about trump is that he comes from the 1980's yuppie crowed where a "Deal" is made when the guy on the other side is utterly crushed. Same with Bamma and I figure it's the same in congress to. You have team red and team blue constantly in a power struggle and neither side can be happy with what they get. It's either all of it with the opponent completely destroyed or nothing.

 

[Lewdog]

Why do the poor stay poor? Over 22 trillion dollars has been spent on the war on poverty, yet we still have poor. Is it that they just cant make it or they are just to lazy to work their way out of being poor. Dont give me the "handicap" problem, this guy was handicapped, yet found a way to excel.

LOL. There will always be poor but rather than spending trillions enriching the 1%, which is what our criminal government does, helping the poor makes more sense to me. If we must have a huge omnipresent central government, it should function for the people, not just the 1%. Let’s stop the suffering.

I recognize I’m asking for something that can’t be accomplished, in the current environment.

He doesn't understand how capitalism works. The model depends on there being poor for the richest to take advantage of to maximize profits.

Morgan Feeman disagrees with you. Are you calling this black man a liar?

That's a logical fallacy called appeal to authority. Do some of your own research in capitalism.

In the US, there are those who can overcome their handicaps and become very well off, but it takes work. Then there are those who dont want to lead, but will follow so they can enjoy their lives and provide for their families thus being happy. Then there are those who can never be happy, even when they have the most money in the world, because to them they just cant find what they are looking for, thus being a victim, even if the richest man in the world. So they must screw everyone else because then when no one is happy, then it is equality. That is liberal fairness...

Then there are those who use anecdotal stories to prove their point holds merit. For every Morgan Freeman there are hundreds of thousands of people exactly like him that do not make it in Hollywood. Another good example is the McDonald's franchise. Do you think Ray Crock did all the hard work to come up with the restaurant? Superman... do you think DC Comics created Superman? Don't give me anecdotal stories as facts. They are not. If a person believes an anecdotal story, and thus believes over 35 million people living in poverty in the U.S. are that way because they are lazy that goes to the OP's point about empathy.

 

[JoeB131]

In Saudi Arabia, where I worked 5 1/2 years, I blew out my right knee on top of a F-15 when I tried to stand up. I went to the medical clinic and the doctor told me it was a soccer injury where I explained I dont play soccer but was on the aircraft for 4 hours kneeling. He said that when I get back to the states I should seek medical treatment as a workmans comp so when I got to the US doctor, my boss overseas said it was a tennis injury and my insurance should take care of it and use my own medical leave. So I didnt get my knee fixed at the time, went back over seas and finished my 5 1/2 years. Yes, the knew was uncomfortable, yes I eventually had to get it replaced by another company, but today I still have arthritis and am dealing with it. I dont bitch and moan, I try to make more, by using every tax loophole, the liberals have given US...Stupid people pay more in taxes because they dont want to learn how to become rich...My buddy and I in the picture are prime examples of rich, working hard, learning the tricks, using them to the best of our abilities...

Real rich people don't brag on the internet about how rich they are... and the problem with your narrative is that you've spent your whole life sucking off the teet of the Military Industrial Complex...

Who do you think is paying for that, buddy?

 

[JoeB131]

Instead, I want to know the whole picture so I can make better decisions.

Unless someone disputes your assertions, and then you put them on ignore. Because you are totally open minded.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

I'm pretty sure that we no longer practice fundamental empathy very well. And for the purposes of this thread, let's define that: A reasonable psychological identification or understanding of the perspectives of another.

It looks to me as if those who have a vested professional interest in keeping us angry and divided are winning, because one of their most effective tactics is to purposely avoid and/or distort the perspectives of the "other". We appear to do that instinctively now.

So here's the question:

Is it a good thing to empathize with other people?
.

Of course. We were sliding down the path towards total political division for quite a while until Prezzie (Im)Peach(ed) dumped us straight into the chasm. I blame him solely for an almost surgical removal of empathy in our current society. When your 'leader' leads by the dehumanization of half the country, where else can you go from there? The fish stinks from the head, and the rot is only going to get worse until a fundamental change is made.

You dont think that Oblummer, the brown excrement, caused any division between the rich and poor, the white against colors, educated against non educated? The Marxist playbook of the left is to divide a nation, for then it is easier to conquer the nation, and when Communism takes over, there is no freedom of choice, no freedom to work at a job you like, no freedom to raise a family. Sometimes I think the left are nothing but slaves and need someone to rule them...

Everything you mention is a fear you have. A class-based fear, a skin color fear, a fear of the educated (you think they're all elitist pricks) and finally, a fear of Communism.

You seem very fearful. You ok?