CDZ A very simple question

[alang1216]

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?
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If you can't empathize with others you can't or won't compromise with them.

 

[Mac1958]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

I agree with that to a point, but it sure seems to me (and this is just my own anecdotal observation) that this behavior is metastasizing pretty rapidly throughout our culture. 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.
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[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?

There's a difference between empathizing and enabling.

I can totally empathize with Trump Supporters. They are mostly white people who realize that the "American Dream" that their parents and grandparents enjoyed no longer exists. The Good Union Job you got after High School has been replaced with the menial job you get after you rack up $60,000 in College debt. They are often working two and three jobs to make ends meet while the rich get richer. This describes not only the people I grew up with, but most of my relatives.

Where my empathy ends for them is when their reaction is not to blame the Wall Street Parasites who have been attacking them for 40 years, but poor minorities who have less than they have.

It's hard to collaborate with people who keep voting for the folks who are screwing them and us, because they've learned how to play on their racial, religious and sexual fears.

I used to empathize with the poor, because at one time I was poor. But then I got smart, got skills, and enabled myself to achieve greatness. Now my buddy and I who are very well off, laugh at the poor, for voting for the very people who make them poor. You just cant get more stupid than a liberal...

Google Groups

Poverty in Our Cities.
City, State
% of People Below the Poverty Level


1. Detroit , MI
32.5%
2. Buffalo , NY
29.9%
3. Cincinnati , OH
27.8%
4. Cleveland , OH
27.0%
5. Miami , FL
26.9%
5. St. Louis , MO
26.8%
7. El Paso , TX
26.4%
8. Milwaukee , WI
26.2%
9. Philadelphia , PA
25.1%
10. Newark , NJ
24.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007
What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all
have in common?

Detroit , MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican
mayor since 1961;

Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;

Cincinnati , OH (3rd)...since 1984;

Cleveland , OH (4th)...since 1989;

Miami , FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

St. Louis , MO (6th)....since 1949;

El Paso , TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

Milwaukee , WI (8th)...since 1908;

Philadelphia , PA (9th)...since 1952;

Newark , NJ (10th)...since 1907.

Einstein once said, 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again and expecting different results.'

It is the poor who habitually elect Democrats---yet they are still POOR!
********************
"Everybody in Washington gets all wee-weed up." --The Lyin' Little Prick

"Democrats are the only reason to vote for Republicans"--Will Rogers

That's a shame.

But I'm very glad you dropped by to provide a good example of my point.
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[Mac1958]

If you can't empathize with others you can't or won't compromise with them.

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

We are also choosing to ignore the fact that collaboration leads to innovation, the creation of something all new in which we all have buy-in and responsibility.

We just don't let our minds get that far any more.
.

 

[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?
.

Yes it is good to empathize with others, but you also need to worry about yourself and make sure others are empathizing with you.

Too often I see people who only care about themselves and money. A good example are the people who say they don't care about anything else Trump does as long as their stocks keeping doing well. Or when they push for cuts in food stamps, but don't care when a story comes out that HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of tax payer money was used in Congress to settle a sexual harassment case.

Bwaaaaaahhhaaaaaa…..Wealth envy....is it very destructive....liberal victimhood is the reason why liberals cant do well. Stop being a victim and you can make something of yourself.

Oprah...liberal.....billions of dollars
Jeff Bezos...liberal...billions of dollars.
Morgan Freeman....liberal....millions of dollars..
Born in poverty but earned they way to greatness...

This is the Clean debate zone where personal attacks are against the rules.

If the shoe fits then wear it....I was in general making the statement that if you are too stupid to know how to make something of yourself then you can stay in poverty. You just proved my point.

You told me I had wealth envy and told me stop being a victim. That was a personal attack. If you are talking about liberals, say liberals. I also don't see how what I posted has anything to do with it. If a member of Congress gets in trouble for sexual harassment, they need to pay for it THEMSELVES, not with tax payer dollars.

Instead of staying a victim and think everything is a personal attack, why dont you invest in the stock market, this the "experts" are saying it is in a "melt up" and take advantage of those dividends.....

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

Empathy is hard wired into humans, and perhaps other species. It is therefore not a subject of 'right' or 'wrong'.
Sociopaths may seem an exception, but even they have a tendency to show it somewhere in their personality.
Many people appear to be very capable of sublimating the emotion.

Usually the liberals tend to be sympathetic with those trying to kill US.

Clinton says America should ‘empathize’ with its enemies

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

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.

My son donated hours of service to work at a "soup Kitchen" that was 30 miles away. There are busses that travel all over the city. Also, a can of soup at Walmart that can have 2 servings cost about a dollar. Doesnt welfare pick up that cost?

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

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.

 

[gipper]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

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.

 

[Mac1958]

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?
.

 

[sartre play]

Today is one of those days that I find it hard to be impartial in my view of how the government is being run, conclude its our own fault, most of us just haven't been paying attention. takes a lot of time to look with care at both sides of an issue. that's why we elect & pay others to do the looking, most of those elected have made the choice to work for them self's & their political party not us. that makes me really angry.

 

[JoeB131]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Maybe the problem is we understand them all too well.

If you know your business partner is unreliable or your girlfriend is inclined to cheat, you really don't care to understand "Why", you just know that's how you have to proceed.

When you realize Trump supporters are either greedy or racist, I mean, yeah, you can understand "Why?" but that doesn't change the fact they are greedy or racist.

 

[JoeB131]

I used to empathize with the poor, because at one time I was poor. But then I got smart, got skills, and enabled myself to achieve greatness. Now my buddy and I who are very well off, laugh at the poor, for voting for the very people who make them poor. You just cant get more stupid than a liberal...

Yes, and you being white had nothing to do with it, I'm sure. Nope, you did it all on your own.

Funny thing, I used to be a conservative. Then after working for a company for six years, I busted up my knee, (off the job) and they pretty much screwed me. When I pointed this out, my wonderful human being of a boss said, "This is why I'm glad I don't have to deal with a union."

The thing is, we used to have a middle class in this country because of unions, because of a government that advocated for working folks - both parties, not just the Democrats.

Then the GOP figured it would be easier to take the RIch's money and convince less smart white people to be upset about the minorities and the gays.

 

[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...….

 

[Correll]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

I could not agree more.

 

[Lewdog]

Whether it's politics or business or personal relationships, how are we supposed to progress if we don't bother to fully and accurately understand the position of the other party?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

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.

My son donated hours of service to work at a "soup Kitchen" that was 30 miles away. There are busses that travel all over the city. Also, a can of soup at Walmart that can have 2 servings cost about a dollar. Doesnt welfare pick up that cost?

There are not forms of public transportation in EVERY city in the country. It is one of the biggest differences between the U.S. and Europe.

 

[Lewdog]

Well I think this forum is hard place to get an accurate idea because there are too many people that will say one thing here that they would not say in front of a group of people. A lot of people here will tell you that they don't care if a person starves to death if they can't get a job to feed themselves, and that the federal government shouldn't be a nanny state and it should all be up to churches and other groups to feed, shelter, and everything else. Most of us know that would never work, but those people will say it regardless because it makes them look cool in front of others here that will say the same thing.

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.

 

[JoeB131]

Sure you were a Conservative Joe...So what you are saying is you lost your mind?

No, I realized that a working guy voting Republican is like a Chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

 

[JoeB131]

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?

 

[2aguy]

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?
.

Yes.