CDZ Is empathy the key to this hate and division?

[percysunshine]

I think people confuse empathy and sympathy. Not even sure if empathy even exists.

If I stub my toe, other people can sympathize with my pain, but I am the only person feeling it. Pain is not telepathically transmitted to those around me.

But, gosh, I'll bet other people have stubbed their toe before as well and have also suffered similar pain that they can then recall and thus empathize with you.

Still more have had pain that produced a reaction similar to yours and that allows empathy as well.

Gosh darn, we can empathize with each other after all.

They would be remembering it, not feeling it.

Bah, mere semantics.

The memory of a feeling can be as tangible as the feeling itself, both being a product of the mind.

I disagree. If I accidentally touch a hot stove, the nerve impulse goes to my spinal cord, which then activates my arm muscle to pull my hand away. I am feeling pain, but my brain does not know it yet.

 

[JimBowie1958]

But I really don't know what kind of viewership an actual straightforward, calm, dignified newscast would draw right now. We'd rather eat donuts than broccoli at this point. We're used to fireworks and rumor and accusation.
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It would start with a smaller viewership, n o doubts, but it would grow over time as the new public re-acquaints itself with actual news coverage and learns its advantages and strengths.


Eventually a good number of people learn to eat the vegies.

 

[JimBowie1958]

The memory of a feeling can be as tangible as the feeling itself, both being a product of the mind.

I disagree. If I accidentally touch a hot stove, the nerve impulse goes to my spinal cord, which then activates my arm muscle to pull my hand away. I am feeling pain, but my brain does not know it yet.

Ever see a person jump in shock at imagined pain?

Same kind of thing.

 

[Mac1958]

But I really don't know what kind of viewership an actual straightforward, calm, dignified newscast would draw right now. We'd rather eat donuts than broccoli at this point. We're used to fireworks and rumor and accusation.

It would start with a smaller viewership, n o doubts, but it would grow over time as the new public re-acquaints itself with actual news coverage and learns its advantages and strengths. Eventually a good number of people learn to eat the vegies.

Given the copycat nature of contemporary "journalism", some decent success could create some kind of momentum, I suppose.

I'm not holding my breath, but there's nothing wrong with being hopeful.
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[JoeB131]

Given the copycat nature of contemporary "journalism", some decent success could create some kind of momentum, I suppose.

I'm not holding my breath, but there's nothing wrong with being hopeful.

Again, the news organizations aren't the problem here. The problem is that we have pretty serious divides on major issues, largely exploited and perpetuated by the One Percent to get dumb people to vote against their own economic interests.

 

[cnm]

Sure. But won't happen. We had the Antislavery movement. We fought the slavers.

No, you fought to maintain the Union. Then applied revisionism.

 

[cnm]

We have to restore news reporting to its own purpose, to inform, and not entertain.

No, the purpose of news reporting is to make a profit.