why empathy is the meaning of life
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Date: 2025-09-28
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Comments and reviews: 20
whatifalthist
31: 51 Why do you lump political ideology and intelligence together Adopting a political ideology actually demonstrates a rejection of independent thinking; whether you're a leftist who imagines you can change the world, or a right-winger who imagines reviving what a leftist did 200 years ago.
What you probably mean is the difference between rationalism (Plato, Descartes, Kant) and empiricism (Aristotle, Hume, Rand) [I mean rationalism in the sense of the Enlightenment, not your definition]. You're right that rationalists believe they possess universal truth, and empiricists are much more tolerant in that regard, but you don't address the fact that the rationalist method can also be used for good things, such as laws or morality, while empiricism, on the negative side, tends to be short-sighted and only deals with individual cases.
So: Both can be good, and both can be bad. Generally, there is no absolute good or evil; everything can be good or bad depending on the context. That's dialectics; only Americans see only Marxist dialectics and not the original concept, condemn it, and are still stuck in the Middle Ages, still dividing the world into left and right, good and evil.
But I always likeed your approach on masculinity, especially at 46: 00. And I think we should also make an approach on feminity, but not the religious devout kind-of-things, more of a softer but longer lasting power.
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31: 51 Why do you lump political ideology and intelligence together Adopting a political ideology actually demonstrates a rejection of independent thinking; whether you're a leftist who imagines you can change the world, or a right-winger who imagines reviving what a leftist did 200 years ago.
What you probably mean is the difference between rationalism (Plato, Descartes, Kant) and empiricism (Aristotle, Hume, Rand) [I mean rationalism in the sense of the Enlightenment, not your definition]. You're right that rationalists believe they possess universal truth, and empiricists are much more tolerant in that regard, but you don't address the fact that the rationalist method can also be used for good things, such as laws or morality, while empiricism, on the negative side, tends to be short-sighted and only deals with individual cases.
So: Both can be good, and both can be bad. Generally, there is no absolute good or evil; everything can be good or bad depending on the context. That's dialectics; only Americans see only Marxist dialectics and not the original concept, condemn it, and are still stuck in the Middle Ages, still dividing the world into left and right, good and evil.
But I always likeed your approach on masculinity, especially at 46: 00. And I think we should also make an approach on feminity, but not the religious devout kind-of-things, more of a softer but longer lasting power.
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almightyyt2101
What he is saying at 49min is exactly why ppl are afraid we are being attacked - white people feel they are being attacked by black ppl(and their allies the self hating left which is the source of the shame and guilt which is nonsense) one is actually the lowest common denominator physically and doing things like attacking a white girl sitting by herself or bumrushing ppl in stores whilethe left attack in the metaverse by posting articles and constantly being negative - and this is why I consider self hating white ppl much worse than obtuse or ornery black ppl who are following suit, the examplethat theleft has made and lets face it it is they who give permission theoughtheir acceptance of low culture and not holding ppl to higher standards. Im not making excuses or simply blaming but stating what I have noticed - everyone inows white rappers outsell black rappers, rap wouldnt be ish if it werent for white ppl buying it and buying into it - many black rappers are English marketing majors who simply do what sells hence the pejorative SELLOUT by ppl who instinctively know. One could point to Jews and the protocols to say its they who produce and distribute the garbage - IDK but I wouldnt say its impossible no matter what the forgery/fraud people say with their excuse being it was a pogrom - get real bc thats the dumbest thing Ive ever heard -
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What he is saying at 49min is exactly why ppl are afraid we are being attacked - white people feel they are being attacked by black ppl(and their allies the self hating left which is the source of the shame and guilt which is nonsense) one is actually the lowest common denominator physically and doing things like attacking a white girl sitting by herself or bumrushing ppl in stores whilethe left attack in the metaverse by posting articles and constantly being negative - and this is why I consider self hating white ppl much worse than obtuse or ornery black ppl who are following suit, the examplethat theleft has made and lets face it it is they who give permission theoughtheir acceptance of low culture and not holding ppl to higher standards. Im not making excuses or simply blaming but stating what I have noticed - everyone inows white rappers outsell black rappers, rap wouldnt be ish if it werent for white ppl buying it and buying into it - many black rappers are English marketing majors who simply do what sells hence the pejorative SELLOUT by ppl who instinctively know. One could point to Jews and the protocols to say its they who produce and distribute the garbage - IDK but I wouldnt say its impossible no matter what the forgery/fraud people say with their excuse being it was a pogrom - get real bc thats the dumbest thing Ive ever heard -
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michaelmetcalfe639
So I served an LDS mission I got the nickname Midas for two reasons one was my love of mythology and the second was my ability to resolve pretty much any concerns anyone had about joining the LDS faith. People would ask me how I did it the only way I knew how to explain it was that I would listen to persons concerns and doubts and then address them. People would say they did that and it didn't work for them. I know what the difference is now that I'm older and have more experience teaching people and evaluating them, I was actually listening to what they were saying and understanding them were they were in life and where the doubts were coming from only until I had heard them out completely and had an understanding of who they were did I start addressing their concerns and doubts. Most people when they are listening they are just looking for key points in order to respond not to actually learn about or understand the person they are talking to. When you don't understand the people you interact with how can you meaningfully exchange anything, how can you help people when you don't understand what they need. Honestly you are miles ahead of most people if you can just truly listen. Listening however is the first step of building empathy as a skill and it is a skill that you can constantly improve
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So I served an LDS mission I got the nickname Midas for two reasons one was my love of mythology and the second was my ability to resolve pretty much any concerns anyone had about joining the LDS faith. People would ask me how I did it the only way I knew how to explain it was that I would listen to persons concerns and doubts and then address them. People would say they did that and it didn't work for them. I know what the difference is now that I'm older and have more experience teaching people and evaluating them, I was actually listening to what they were saying and understanding them were they were in life and where the doubts were coming from only until I had heard them out completely and had an understanding of who they were did I start addressing their concerns and doubts. Most people when they are listening they are just looking for key points in order to respond not to actually learn about or understand the person they are talking to. When you don't understand the people you interact with how can you meaningfully exchange anything, how can you help people when you don't understand what they need. Honestly you are miles ahead of most people if you can just truly listen. Listening however is the first step of building empathy as a skill and it is a skill that you can constantly improve
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zachb8012
It wasn't empathy that compelled British and German soldiers to lay down their arms on Christmas Day in 1914 and join each other in No Man's Land for a peaceful exchange. Empathy is just seeing a situation through someone else's eyes and it's not inherently virtuous. The soldier uses empathy to understand exactly where his enemy is hiding and so he can call in a target for artillery. Sympathy extends beyond empathy into understanding someone and acting on your knowledge to help that person in a way you would appreciate. As a right wing Christian myself, I fear the temptation of the Godless right to abandon principal to inflict the same cruelties upon our ideological opponents that have been inflicted on us for years, once we achieve power. As satisfying as the temptation may be, this contempt will ultimately what will hinder our cause and allow the powers that be to continue undermining our civlilzation. I want to see a fundamental restructuring of society where the justice system holds those who break the law accountable, only the most suitable individuals are allowed to immigrate to our country, and the egregious theft committed against the American people is crushed under the heel of our unified resolve to rebuild the country stronger than ever. I have hope but I know better.
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It wasn't empathy that compelled British and German soldiers to lay down their arms on Christmas Day in 1914 and join each other in No Man's Land for a peaceful exchange. Empathy is just seeing a situation through someone else's eyes and it's not inherently virtuous. The soldier uses empathy to understand exactly where his enemy is hiding and so he can call in a target for artillery. Sympathy extends beyond empathy into understanding someone and acting on your knowledge to help that person in a way you would appreciate. As a right wing Christian myself, I fear the temptation of the Godless right to abandon principal to inflict the same cruelties upon our ideological opponents that have been inflicted on us for years, once we achieve power. As satisfying as the temptation may be, this contempt will ultimately what will hinder our cause and allow the powers that be to continue undermining our civlilzation. I want to see a fundamental restructuring of society where the justice system holds those who break the law accountable, only the most suitable individuals are allowed to immigrate to our country, and the egregious theft committed against the American people is crushed under the heel of our unified resolve to rebuild the country stronger than ever. I have hope but I know better.
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1stRiggerChick
Thank you.
Have to say the last ten minutes of this content made the most sense to me.
Impressive amount of reading you must do!
I like myself. Ive learned to be my own best friend, i watch my thoughts, consciously choosing to be positive, real and supportive. I remind myself we ultimately all answer for ourselves, so knowing whobwe are is likely key, and nobody elsecis better equipped to be or to know me, than i am.
I am however not as functional in this world as i would like to be. Which matters. And aligning liking myself, doing what best is in alignment with that, and being able to respect, as well as acknowledge the interests of others around me is a work in progress.
I lack discipline. And i cut myself far too much slack in that regard. Recognising that is not akin to addressing it. Though i shall likely kick myself later.
Or maybe i just believe what society seemscto ultimatelyy value is so off track i want no part and motivation is lacking as a result.
Can i build a better model to support myself and others in living their best expression of self Hmmm. Not thatci can see. But i think on this.
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Thank you.
Have to say the last ten minutes of this content made the most sense to me.
Impressive amount of reading you must do!
I like myself. Ive learned to be my own best friend, i watch my thoughts, consciously choosing to be positive, real and supportive. I remind myself we ultimately all answer for ourselves, so knowing whobwe are is likely key, and nobody elsecis better equipped to be or to know me, than i am.
I am however not as functional in this world as i would like to be. Which matters. And aligning liking myself, doing what best is in alignment with that, and being able to respect, as well as acknowledge the interests of others around me is a work in progress.
I lack discipline. And i cut myself far too much slack in that regard. Recognising that is not akin to addressing it. Though i shall likely kick myself later.
Or maybe i just believe what society seemscto ultimatelyy value is so off track i want no part and motivation is lacking as a result.
Can i build a better model to support myself and others in living their best expression of self Hmmm. Not thatci can see. But i think on this.
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brendanwiley253
I think my favorite visualization of a man learning empathy is season 2 of Re: Zero where for slightly complicated plot reasons the main character knows with 100% certainty that the girl he likes, Emilia, is going to be killed by a monster that they can not avoid. Emilia is in the running for a competition to become the monarch of the land and with no resources, the only thing the main character can do is beg one of the other competitors to send their army to save her. He tries asking the other competitor to save her because she means a lot to him, what's the life of one girl against the lives of my men He tries threats, but he's no match in a fight. He tries offering to conced the competition on Emilia's behalf without her knowledge, but for the one with the army its one less competitor either way. So finally the move he tries that actually works, he says that Emila will owe her a favor, with the implication on that political scale that a favor is a very powerful thing
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I think my favorite visualization of a man learning empathy is season 2 of Re: Zero where for slightly complicated plot reasons the main character knows with 100% certainty that the girl he likes, Emilia, is going to be killed by a monster that they can not avoid. Emilia is in the running for a competition to become the monarch of the land and with no resources, the only thing the main character can do is beg one of the other competitors to send their army to save her. He tries asking the other competitor to save her because she means a lot to him, what's the life of one girl against the lives of my men He tries threats, but he's no match in a fight. He tries offering to conced the competition on Emilia's behalf without her knowledge, but for the one with the army its one less competitor either way. So finally the move he tries that actually works, he says that Emila will owe her a favor, with the implication on that political scale that a favor is a very powerful thing
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dylansmith6078
The problem that I have been having with the left is not the fact they are wrong. It is the fact I feel there is no voting out of this mess. The political violence from left to right just in the year 2025 is 31: 2 with the first 4 being just before trump was put in office someone trying to suicide bomb trump tower, the guy running over a crowd with a truck with free palistine, tesla burnings. Etc. The free palistine movement alone has killed 7 people this year mostly jews 2 isreali diplomats, a holocaust survivor and some kids at a jewish festival. I'm antiseptic but I don't think these people deserve to die for their ideas they should just be sent to isreal and seperate from the states. The left have been insanely violent and we just tolerate it.
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The problem that I have been having with the left is not the fact they are wrong. It is the fact I feel there is no voting out of this mess. The political violence from left to right just in the year 2025 is 31: 2 with the first 4 being just before trump was put in office someone trying to suicide bomb trump tower, the guy running over a crowd with a truck with free palistine, tesla burnings. Etc. The free palistine movement alone has killed 7 people this year mostly jews 2 isreali diplomats, a holocaust survivor and some kids at a jewish festival. I'm antiseptic but I don't think these people deserve to die for their ideas they should just be sent to isreal and seperate from the states. The left have been insanely violent and we just tolerate it.
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oreodepup
4: 45 I also wanted to add that the boomers are going to die at a rate which can only be compared to times of war and disease. Although many of them will pass peacefully and fulfilled, It cannot be denied that the mass death of boomers will profoundly effect, both us, Gen Z and the older generations before us who have grown up in this post-modern world.
Since we have no way of coping with such traumatic events I believe the death of the boomers will be psychologically rupturing for our society which has become accustomed to stability and incremental change. Furthermore, as the boomers pass the economic structure which we’ve grown up with will begin to fundamentally break at its core. The myth of eternal growth will be broken in the coming years.
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4: 45 I also wanted to add that the boomers are going to die at a rate which can only be compared to times of war and disease. Although many of them will pass peacefully and fulfilled, It cannot be denied that the mass death of boomers will profoundly effect, both us, Gen Z and the older generations before us who have grown up in this post-modern world.
Since we have no way of coping with such traumatic events I believe the death of the boomers will be psychologically rupturing for our society which has become accustomed to stability and incremental change. Furthermore, as the boomers pass the economic structure which we’ve grown up with will begin to fundamentally break at its core. The myth of eternal growth will be broken in the coming years.
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markam306
Rudyard,
Another excellent video.
I have found that being a strong independent person gives you the confidence to interact with people who have different views without feeling threatened. My examples come a career in manufacturing. Strong managers could make the best of the team they inherited. Weak, bureaucratic managers feel threatened by anyone who has different opinions or even someone who displays strength. The weaklings then remove their strong rivals by backstabbing. It’s weak people who create environments that are intolerant of speech that expresses different views.
I believe the wise adult seeks balance in life, a blend of compassion and discipline. Getting this right is a lifelong quest.
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Rudyard,
Another excellent video.
I have found that being a strong independent person gives you the confidence to interact with people who have different views without feeling threatened. My examples come a career in manufacturing. Strong managers could make the best of the team they inherited. Weak, bureaucratic managers feel threatened by anyone who has different opinions or even someone who displays strength. The weaklings then remove their strong rivals by backstabbing. It’s weak people who create environments that are intolerant of speech that expresses different views.
I believe the wise adult seeks balance in life, a blend of compassion and discipline. Getting this right is a lifelong quest.
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Dakota_Duncan
More people should try their hand at writing fiction, particularly from the point of view of characters who are completely unlike themselves. It's actually a great way to internally build empathy, like working out a muscle. The left's whole Oh, you can't tell a story about someone who's in a different group than you, while intended to uplift the group you're writing about by making space for them in the market, is actually profoundly anti-empathy in both directions as it prevents people from forming mental models of others who aren't like themselves, and puts people in a bubble where they can only form mental models of themselves.
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More people should try their hand at writing fiction, particularly from the point of view of characters who are completely unlike themselves. It's actually a great way to internally build empathy, like working out a muscle. The left's whole Oh, you can't tell a story about someone who's in a different group than you, while intended to uplift the group you're writing about by making space for them in the market, is actually profoundly anti-empathy in both directions as it prevents people from forming mental models of others who aren't like themselves, and puts people in a bubble where they can only form mental models of themselves.
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filterexel-1
22: 47 Addendum: The reason why the left's empathy is so low is because they have virtually no concept of another person other than themselves (person being a human with their _own_ lives, experiences, thoughts, impetus, emotions, etc. This is also why they project so much: they believe everyone else functions more or less identically to themselves. Might also be why they are obsessed with equal outcomes (i. e. If everyone is exactly like me, then why did that guy end up over there. Could it also explain their violent tendencies (i. e. You are identical to me, but you don't believe the same things, therefore, evil)
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22: 47 Addendum: The reason why the left's empathy is so low is because they have virtually no concept of another person other than themselves (person being a human with their _own_ lives, experiences, thoughts, impetus, emotions, etc. This is also why they project so much: they believe everyone else functions more or less identically to themselves. Might also be why they are obsessed with equal outcomes (i. e. If everyone is exactly like me, then why did that guy end up over there. Could it also explain their violent tendencies (i. e. You are identical to me, but you don't believe the same things, therefore, evil)
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ericschafer287
Leftists practice sympathy for self-gratification. By placing all value in being caring, they feel really good about themselves when they are sympathetic for victims. This means that their preferred victims can easily get money and privilege from them by complaining. When non-leftists practice actual empathy see the fraudulent behavior of the victim or ineffectiveness of sympathetic efforts and say don't give them money/privilege, we are interrupting the leftist self-gratification loop and they get angry. Their anger is actually the other half of their self-gratification via feelings of moral superiority.
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Leftists practice sympathy for self-gratification. By placing all value in being caring, they feel really good about themselves when they are sympathetic for victims. This means that their preferred victims can easily get money and privilege from them by complaining. When non-leftists practice actual empathy see the fraudulent behavior of the victim or ineffectiveness of sympathetic efforts and say don't give them money/privilege, we are interrupting the leftist self-gratification loop and they get angry. Their anger is actually the other half of their self-gratification via feelings of moral superiority.
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thorlove6050
You speak of the Ideal when using Gentlemanly Behavior, in history this was applied only to their class and not normally extended to the lower classes. Female driven empathy, stagnant in emotion, leads to a narcissistic victim mentality. Masculine empathy encouraged by gentlemanly ideals leads to active compassion. An example I always think of is the photographers of the late Victorian age, who by documenting the working conditions of children, catapulted society into improving labor laws. I believe empathy is useless without compassion that leads to action. Our society today is a glaring example of that
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You speak of the Ideal when using Gentlemanly Behavior, in history this was applied only to their class and not normally extended to the lower classes. Female driven empathy, stagnant in emotion, leads to a narcissistic victim mentality. Masculine empathy encouraged by gentlemanly ideals leads to active compassion. An example I always think of is the photographers of the late Victorian age, who by documenting the working conditions of children, catapulted society into improving labor laws. I believe empathy is useless without compassion that leads to action. Our society today is a glaring example of that
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almightyyt2101
Really cooking between 25m in and 35min! Good lawdy u makin gumbo stew my dawg! This is great, now need to craft this message into an easily digestible snack that people can consume - the stream is a start but there must be a better way to feed this message to the hungry masses - man does not live on bread alone and this is a lesson lost on many people today who clap their hands over their ears singin lalalala at the first mention of GOD, even if GOD is so obviously a play on good - its like theyre happy to be evil - yuck! YIKES!
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Really cooking between 25m in and 35min! Good lawdy u makin gumbo stew my dawg! This is great, now need to craft this message into an easily digestible snack that people can consume - the stream is a start but there must be a better way to feed this message to the hungry masses - man does not live on bread alone and this is a lesson lost on many people today who clap their hands over their ears singin lalalala at the first mention of GOD, even if GOD is so obviously a play on good - its like theyre happy to be evil - yuck! YIKES!
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raigi4549
I see this word overused and used incorrectly a lot lately. Empathy is a physical reaction. If someone is standing in front of you and you see them being sad, your body reacts by making you sad. That's empathy. It's an involuntary phyisological response in healthy humans/mammals.
The word people seem to have forgotten about is sympathy. Sympathy is conscious, it's measured empathy if you will. And it's the more correct term in most situations when any kind of thought or speech is involved.
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I see this word overused and used incorrectly a lot lately. Empathy is a physical reaction. If someone is standing in front of you and you see them being sad, your body reacts by making you sad. That's empathy. It's an involuntary phyisological response in healthy humans/mammals.
The word people seem to have forgotten about is sympathy. Sympathy is conscious, it's measured empathy if you will. And it's the more correct term in most situations when any kind of thought or speech is involved.
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dabneybowen8097
I think it is damaging to frame it as a battle. The 'Left' are human beings, vulnerable to the same manipulations 'We' are. They are not the 'enemy', they are people in a hyper advanced technological revolution. I recommend the upkeep of one's own House, and be willing to reach out and bridge the seemingly great Gulfs in Understanding. Above, Below, Within, Without. If there must be an 'enemy' I would look elsewhere, perhaps even within myself.
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I think it is damaging to frame it as a battle. The 'Left' are human beings, vulnerable to the same manipulations 'We' are. They are not the 'enemy', they are people in a hyper advanced technological revolution. I recommend the upkeep of one's own House, and be willing to reach out and bridge the seemingly great Gulfs in Understanding. Above, Below, Within, Without. If there must be an 'enemy' I would look elsewhere, perhaps even within myself.
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naylorjames
I think empathy is even more complicated. This does not consider cognitive empathy (which Rudyard mostly seems to be talking about) vs affective empathy.
A good friend of mine is instantly aware of everyone's emotions in pretty much any room he is in and can read them well (affective. Yet. He is utterly unable to model others minds at all well. Anyone with any degree of emotional control or ability to put on a mask is a total mystery to him.
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I think empathy is even more complicated. This does not consider cognitive empathy (which Rudyard mostly seems to be talking about) vs affective empathy.
A good friend of mine is instantly aware of everyone's emotions in pretty much any room he is in and can read them well (affective. Yet. He is utterly unable to model others minds at all well. Anyone with any degree of emotional control or ability to put on a mask is a total mystery to him.
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leifkhas7425
Empathy is good, FOR YOUR TRIBE, not for the enemy. We have had sucidial empathy for the left for far too long. Yes they were once are people, but the woke mind virus has meant their is no hope of ever bringing them back. It's like the Borg.
The right hasn't gone too far by any means. The right at this point just insists that we follow the laws as they are currently written. I would argue the right is barely doing the absolute minimum.
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Empathy is good, FOR YOUR TRIBE, not for the enemy. We have had sucidial empathy for the left for far too long. Yes they were once are people, but the woke mind virus has meant their is no hope of ever bringing them back. It's like the Borg.
The right hasn't gone too far by any means. The right at this point just insists that we follow the laws as they are currently written. I would argue the right is barely doing the absolute minimum.
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valerianotval9154
I suspect that for a lot of people, leftists and women particularly, empathy implies sympathy.
If you're doing something evil within their moral framework, and they sympathize with you, then they are evil as well.
This gives them the incentive to avoid empathizing with their opponents (whom they view as arch enemies) as much as humanly possible.
I believe this is why they are so terrible at empathy.
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I suspect that for a lot of people, leftists and women particularly, empathy implies sympathy.
If you're doing something evil within their moral framework, and they sympathize with you, then they are evil as well.
This gives them the incentive to avoid empathizing with their opponents (whom they view as arch enemies) as much as humanly possible.
I believe this is why they are so terrible at empathy.
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johnsharpe6411
ChatGPT says when asked to contrast sympathy vs empathy: Sympathy and empathy are both ways of responding to another person’s emotions. Sympathy = Feeling for someone. Empathy = Feeling with someone. I don't believe this matches the video very well and seems to have all kinds of issues. Understanding your emotions does not require me to feel them. It is interesting hearing a machine describe human mentality.
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ChatGPT says when asked to contrast sympathy vs empathy: Sympathy and empathy are both ways of responding to another person’s emotions. Sympathy = Feeling for someone. Empathy = Feeling with someone. I don't believe this matches the video very well and seems to have all kinds of issues. Understanding your emotions does not require me to feel them. It is interesting hearing a machine describe human mentality.
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