The loss of empathy

[SoCalDem]

This is at the heart of so many of our most vexing problems..

Too many people see things every day that they would never tolerate in their own lives, but feel no need to intervene.

It could be something major like watching a grown man sexually brutalize a child, and then looking away..but hey..that child was not HIS younger brother/nephew/child.. That child was not someone he knew, so it was no biggie.

It could be something quite minor, like picking up money that someone in front of you drops unknowingly, and not saying "Hey, you dropped this". It's not like you knew that person, or that the $20 they dropped might be grocery money. Finders-keepers.

Empathy-loss is all around us.

TV shows delight in humiliating people.

Everything is now a contest.

Cooking shows used to be about teaching people how to cook..Now they are "wars", where contestants hope for others to screw up, so they can "win"..

It's all about the cheap laugh, the public humiliation of people who don't "measure up"..people who are placed there for our amusement when they get "punked".

It extends into politics too.

How many times have we seen politicians routinely and callously vote against things that people need, UNTIL someone in their own family (or they themselves) suddenly, by fate, are placed in the same boat?

Familial empathy is easy. In most families we are taught to care for and about each other.

An evolved society cares about ALL people.

We care when others cannot afford food, and we feed them. We do not laugh at them and deride them for being too lazy to find work.

We care when others cannot find health care they can afford, and we try to see that they do get care.. We do not shrug our shoulders and say.. "Too bad about that..they should have taken better care of themselves".

Lack of empathy allows all kinds of terrible things to happen, because as people get more and more insulated, it gets easier and easier to go from ignoring bad things that happen to others, to helping those bad things happen..and enjoying the process.

[Uncle Joe]

1. This sentence should be bolded.

"TV shows delight in humiliating people."

I believe your OP to be a most profound observation.

Thanks for the thread, SoCalDem.:thumbsup:

[Lorien]

37. Bill Cosby once said that sitcoms used to allow us to laugh at ourselves

our failings, quirks, and all that we share in common with one another- and now they require the viewer to laugh at others for their perceived "inferiority". TV revels in bullying and mocking. Violence is now the ultimate entertainment, just as it was in Nero's time. Not achievement in sports or art, not humor, not cleverness, not beauty; just violence. Recently several of my friends urged me to watch "Breaking Bad" for it's "great stories and character development". I watched three seasons of it on Netflix then couldn't stomach it any more. For those who haven't seen it; it's about a high school chemistry teacher and one of his junkie dropout students who get into the meth business. Directly and indirectly, their idiotic decisions lead to the violent deaths of hundreds of innocent (and a handful of not so innocent) people. It doesn't take long before one finds oneself hoping that they get caught and locked away for good, but fans can't get enough of it. Cheering sociopaths who only care about their own interests is now "trendy", much to the delight of the 1%, I'm sure. This makes their own "you should suffer and die for my profits" belief system seem somehow acceptable. No, sorry, I WON"T join that bandwagon!

[Laelth]

57. +1 Well said. n/t

-Laelth

[Magoo48]

78. You nailed it here...

[BanzaiBonnie]

79. One of the things I love about "Modern Family"

It is sweet without being saccharin, yet it allows us to laugh about ourselves. In the end, it's all about the love they have for one another.

[snappyturtle]

90. Yes, it's a bastion of civility....and fun too! nt

[deutsey]

92. Yeah, "Breaking Bad" is not for everyone

However, I think it goes beyond being merely about "a high school chemistry teacher and one of his junkie dropout students who get into the meth business." That's kind of like saying Moby Dick is just about hunting whales.

Walt and Jesse, the teacher and student, respectively, are morally complex characters, imo. Walt freefalls from being a decent family man into deeper levels of evil while Jesse deep down is a good and even sensitive person who yearns for something more meaningful in life than the tawdry world of meth he's stuck in.

In particular, the story of how Walt, in his initial pursuit of financial security for his family, degenerates into a major player in the meth biz is ultimately a tragedy in the ancient Greek drama sense of the word.

But, having said all that, I can certainly see why people wouldn't like the show.

:hi:

[Lorien]

150. Walt is addicted to the adrenaline rush that his actions bring him

he knows that Jesse's nature will always put him in another crisis situation, so he won't let go of him. Yeah, Jesse is a sensitive guy at his core, but his lack of common sense and self control lead him from one horrific situation to another. He's as much of a drama addict as Walt is. Neither is very intelligent, both eventually lose any moral compass they once had. Neither were forced into their situations; they came about them by choice .Walt had a willing benefactor at the beginning, after all, but he preferred courting danger to security. It's not about providing for his family; that's the lie that he tells himself and everyone else to justify his greed and murderous ways. He does same when the planes crash and he blames it on outdated equipment, and I'm sure CEOs and criminals everywhere use the same types of justifications for their own actions.

The whole antihero protagonist thing has gotten old.

[SoCalDem]

153. Yep.. I''m kind of glad they are ending the series soon

He's gone around the bend.

At first you could kind of root for him for trying to secure his family's future..but he's turned into a villain as bad as the ones he eliminates.

Jesse is probably beyond redemption too.

Too bad Dallas did the dream ending.. A proper end to the show would be of him on his deathbed, at the end..having dreamed the whole thing up..

[Lorien]

159. The sick thing is that my friends kept saying " it really gets good in seasons

3 and 4..." Really? Watching a complete sociopath destroy every life that he touches, that's superior entertainment? And Jesse, who wasn't on a good path to begin with but at least had a chance of growing up and changing his course in life- Walt destroys him completely. I don't know if the writers intended it as allegory, but I see it as such for most of the powerful in this Nation and elsewhere. You can easily imagine politicians, CEOs and executives using the same kind of backwards rationales and weak justifications for their actions which destroy the lives of so many living things. Becoming more and more corrupt as their ego and narcissism grows along with their influence, to the point that they not only see themselves as above and separated from the rest of humanity, but above the law as well.

And yeah, that would be a great ending (Bob Newhart also chose that route, with a twist) but obviously the writers have set it up for something more along the lines of "Bonnie and Clyde".

[SoCalDem]

161. It would be interesting if they did the dream ending

Jesse could be his young doctor

Gus could be the guy who brings him lunch

Most of the characters could be roommates or hospital employees..

and on the dresser, a bucket of chicken....

[Lorien]

164. Ha! Love it!

:thumbsup:

[deutsey]

165. Right...that's his fatal flaw, to me

The adrenaline rush of being his own man, doing it his way for once in his life...answering to no one.

I think there have been a lot of hints that Walt comes from a very poor background. Although he was a gifted chemist in college and was going out with an attractive fellow chemist, I think something he had a fish-out-of-water feeling in the wealthier world he found himself in (I may have picked up on that because that's how my life has been in many ways). At the very least, something happened between him and the woman's father that I think was class related, which led to him abruptly leaving her. I'm hoping that is explored more deeply during this last season.

I could go on with a more in-depth critique, but that's not the purpose of this posting. The bottom line: I have empathy for both Walt and Jesse as deeply flawed but very human characters, which keeps me tuning in. I see things in both characters and their struggles and foibles that open up explorations of human nature in myself and in the real world around me.

The show doesn't float your boat. And, as a character called the Dude would say from a favorite movie of mine, that's cool. That's cool.

[Lorien]

168. You can be your own man without leaving a trail of bodies behind you

I have empathy for victims, but not those who victimize others. I'm a college instructor part time, close to Walt's age. I understand the urge to break away from the monotony of modern life, but no, I don't empathize with what he becomes in the least. Killing innocent human beings isn't a "foible", it's WRONG. It should be condemned. Not a part of human nature that you should WANT to explore. That's my point; the show has turned it's fans into people who see violent self centered behavior as an expression of independence, instead of the deranged narcissism and cruelty of a sociopath.

[deutsey]

169. Really?

I guess I'll have to give up my hobby as a serial killer then. Thanks for the tip!

[Uncle Joe]

97. Not to mention programs like Jerry Springer, Cops, Bad Girls Club,

Big Brother; along with some other "reality programs," etc. etc.

Big Brother used to be a nightmare scenario of George Orwell, now its' being morphed into a way to make lots of money, usually by backstabbing, lying to and betraying other people along the way.

There is a program that follows celebrities everywhere they go with a camera in the hopes of finding some way to tear them down, catch them making a faux pas or to make fun of them, I forgot the name of it.

Even late night comedy, Leno is far more likely to use jokes that laugh at people, instead of Carson style with them, particularly people; whose live are already in turmoil.

Some programs; use soft humiliation and others hard but the thing they all have in common is the need to diminish the individual; usually when they're at their weakest point.

I believe this is just a subliminal way of promoting corporate supremacy and the police state to enforce it by tearing the people down instead of building them up.

[defendandprotect]

114. Thanks for the insights -- !!

I've seen "Breaking Bad" advertised --

Sad you had to waste any time with it -- but thanks for the report.

We've had decades of programming "pandering to the baser instincts of citizens" --

after a while it becomes part of the culture and they can aim even lower!!


It's another facet of inane and suicidal capitalism -- we're cooperating in our own

demise!


Indeed, when we look at a dollar bill, we should have visions of the destruction of

nature and animal-life and natural resources -- and labor -- that dollar bill represents.


We have to stop judging everything by the yardstick of a dollar bill -- and begin to see

the evil of it and our economic system!




:hi:

[Pooka Fey]

123. +1

[SunSeeker]

128. Thanks for crystallizing why I hate reality TV!

I have always thought that all those "pulling the wings off flies"-themed reality TV shoes were just sick. You eloquently explained why.

[valerief]

138. I think that's why I have no interest in modern movies with kids in them. Their dialogue is

always so disrespectful and wise-ass. Always. Without fail. Freakin' kids. Spewing hateful attitudes.

[japple]

151. It's why my TV stays mostly turned off. When Animal Planet started

showing fear-based programming during prime time, i.e. River Monster, The Thing Inside Me (or whatever that program is about parasites), Giant Big Ass Jungle Snakes, Whale Wars, et. al., instead of those regarding animal welfare and rescue, I complained mightily to Discovery, the parent channel. I got a reply..."yeah, we'll pass along your comments, etc., etc." So I quit watching Animal Planet for the most part. I also quit watching most TV programming, though sometimes I will turn on PBS or BBC or an old movie.

[northoftheborder]

152. I agree, TV mostly is a dung pit. Sometimes I wonder if the few shows I watch...

....mainly for news, some movies, food channels, etc. are worth the cost, though of paying for the whole mess. My money is paying for the evil along with the good. Wish there were some way we could just subscribe to what we want to watch, I've been wishing that for years.

[Lorien]

162. Kill the cable. You won't miss it, I promise! Get a streaming Blu ray player

instead or just watch shows on your computer. You'll save a lot of $$ and be much happier in the long run.

[reggie the dog]

166. going on nearly 20 months without a tv

and i dont miss it at all

[SoCalDem]

155. Remember "Bird TV?

My cats used to love it.. It came on AP while I was getting ready for work and they would all line up on the end of the bed & cackle at the birdies:)

Animal Planet used to be about animals...not the fear they cause

[Lorien]

160. Yeah, I agree. I kept my TV for DVDs, but I just stream Netflix, PBS, or TED

talks instead of watching any TV programming. I hear more and more people saying the same. Ditching the tube could be one of the best things that could ever happen to this Country.

[kentuck]

2. Excellent !

K&R!

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Remember: the pukes actually criticized a Supreme Court nominee for having empathy

They actually fucking said it in public.

[Larry Ogg]

93. They know what to look for and they don't want to empower anyone who has conscience.

I was a little shocked myself by the obvious disdain towards the one thing that makes human beings civilized.

They are anti-conscience, and they are out to demonize and diminish social conscience all-together, and they have been very successful at achieving their goal.

[polly7]

4. A huge K & R. n/t.

[Lindsay]

5. Very well said.

And it's so pervasive.

I have said before (maybe not here) that I think one of the fundamental differences between genuine liberals (not neo-liberals, whateverthehell that really means) and the right is the ability to empathize. "There but for the grace of God" (or just plain luck of the draw) is something they just don't ever consider.

And it's devastating our society.

[City Lights]

6. Great post!

:thumbsup: and rec'd.

[PDJane]

7. I'm reading Empire of Illusion.......

At least, I am when I can manage to bring myself to do so.

Understand that I haven't watched tv for years. I haven't ever watched a reality show. I do watch, through the magic of e, rachel maddow and keith olbermann. Occasionally, I manage Lawrence and maybe Ed. Sometimes.

Reading about what's happening to the teevee machine and its programming is giving me a serious headache...aside from making me very glad I don't watch. I can't handle it. Seriously.

[saras]

119. Wow. When I take e I get a LOT better stuff than TV shows. You sure that's good e?

[PDJane]

130. I want to watch those two shows. I don't really care

about anything else on the tube. And since I do want to watch them, I either pay for a bundle that includes Fox, or get them live streamed from the UK.

Now, there are lots of other things I get via e that are more interesting.

[aquamarina]

8. Don't forget about the 2 year old girl who was

recently run over in China and no one came to her aid.

Sad and pathetic

[snagglepuss]

14. Guardian CIF posted a piece by a Chinese writer (which I posted here last month)

who wrote that in Chinese culture empathy for people outside one's family has never been a value, she quoted China's first sociologist who wrote early in the last century that the lack of empathy was a serious social failing. I say this because I wonder if TPTB want to encourage Westerners to adopt the Chinese value system. It would certainly would explain what is being dished out on TV.

[Kaleko]

33. Do you have a link to that article and/or your post?

I would love to read it because the peculiar disconnect that Chinese people display toward their environment - even after many years of living in western countries - is fascinating to me. Worthy of deeper study.

Thanks in advance, snagglepuss.

[snagglepuss]

34. Here it is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2168349

[Kaleko]

40. Great, thank you!

[JDPriestly]

39. Actually, here ---

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/22/china-nation-cold-hearts

It's a great article.

China's moral crisis doesn't just manifest itself in personal life but also in business practice and many other areas. The high-profile "poisoned milk powder" case and the scandal of using "gutter oil" as cooking oil have shocked and disgusted people around the world. Last year an article, "Why have Chinese lost their sense of morality?", in which the author tried to find an explanation, was widely read. He reasoned that China has introduced the concept of a market economy from the west but failed to import the corresponding ethics, while the traditional moral principles of China no longer fit the market economy model.

(from the above website)

Of course, I have been asking why the traditional moral principles of the US no longer are respected in our economic model.

Used to be a farmer sold an infertile cow or a bucking horse, he either repaid the buyer or paid a huge price in loss of trust and honor in the community.

Now, a broker sells a bond or stock that he knows to be worth less than he is charging his own client, the client is out the money plus the fee for the sale.

That is immoral.

[Kaleko]

41. Consider Goldman Sachs in this context.

The vampire squid created a slew of toxic derivatives which it peddled to clients around the world; then it bet against its own products knowing they were poisonous, and kneecapped the world economy in the process. We're still suffering from the fallout. No one will be spared.

But the Chinese character for "crisis" also means opportunity. I believe the opportunity part expresses itself in the growing OWS-Anonymous movement which has begun to encircle the world.

Thanks for responding, JDPriestly.

[Sentath]

86. character for "crisis"

Not really, no.

http://pinyin.info/chinese/crisis.html

[Kaleko]

124. Ok, I sit corrected.

Thanks.

[totodeinhere]

135. It's part of the ethnocentric nature of our culture to harshly judge others such as the Chinese

while often giving ourselves a pass on other issues. In Chinese culture there may not be "empathy for people outside one's family." But the Chinese might value their own extended family units more than we do. Elderly people in China are treated as respected treasures by younger family members, unlike here where the elderly are often scorned and abandoned by their own families.

Each culture may have much to learn from the example of the other.

[snagglepuss]

144. The person who wrote that lives in China and is is Chinese; the sociologist

she quotes lived in China and was Chinese so this has nothing to do with judging other cultures harshly. Before having read that, I had assumed that empathy for strangers was a common human value, I was actually surprised reading her comments about her culture.

[snagglepuss]

15. dup self delete

[Taverner]

9. Not surprisingly, Glenn Beckkk equates Empathy with Naziism

Telling

[Ilsa]

10. I'm having issues with my best friend over her lack of empathy.

Oh, she is concerned for my well-being, but wants me to drop-kick out of my life anyone I might feel a need to devote special attention to, like my 85 to disabled WWII veteran father. She tends to cut people out of her life when they start taking too much effort to talk to. Shes a Californian Republican.

[Pacifist Patriot]

73. When true friendship exceeds the effort required by Facebook....

intimacy and community are too rapidly abandoned by a growing number of people.

I'm not saying Facebook is the root of all evil, but it's certainly emblematic of this problem. When the meaning of friendship is so diluted and disposable it's never a good thing. Facebook can be a fun tool, but I see too many people's definition of friendship devolving because of it.

[Ilsa]

82. I agree completely. Fortunately, she and I are not FB friends. We've known

each other for 25+ years. And I don't easily dispose of people I call friends.

I think it's sad that people define their success as social creatures by the number of people they've friend-ed on FB.

I never liked those generic Christmas card letter updates, either.

[SoCalDem]

96. Sometimes we outgrow our friends

When we are young, friends come easily, but over time lives get "messy", and not all people can cope with even their own lives....let alone the lives of others.

Some can handle the easy/fun friendships, but draw back from "crunch time".

I can truthfully say that I have only ONE "real" friend.

She was the one coming to my house on her lunch hour when I was in the midst of a soul-crushing depression.. She made me eat..and she took me to my doctor's appointments because she did not trust me to go:)

When her marriage went south and she was broke, I was her safety net, and I was with here every step of the way when her son died in a car crash.

We are there for each other in good and bad..and we never betray secrets.. We are coming up on 30 years now, and we don't need to call each other daily or "facebook/twitter" each other to show others what good buds we are:)

True friends are there when it's not easy..

I'm sorry your friend let you down:hug:

[CrispyQ]

94. "When the meaning of friendship is so diluted and disposable it's never a good thing."

I read an commentary by someone who asked, "If you have 789 friends, how many friends do you really have?"

[tXr]

11. Thank you for your very thoughtful post. k&r.

[RainDog]

12. k&r n/t

[patrice]

13. I was around someone recently who laughed with delight when someone was "shot" in the head in a tv

crime drama; I know it's "just fiction", but . . . .

What the HELL gives with people these days?

[onecent]

16. Well said SoCal...K & R n/t

[TriMera]

17. K&R. n/t

[moondust]

18. IMO symptomatic

of depersonalized, market-based, winner-take-all, corporate capitalism; organized greed increasingly screwing people in the mean pursuit of unlimited EXCESS wealth.

K/R

[JuniperLea]

19. Best thing I've read here in a long time...

Thank you.

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. ...

:thumbsup::hi:

[Angry Dragon]

21. I believe it really starts with politicians

For many years I have said that each country has its own personality
and the personality is formed by the government
Politicians are the cause of these problems we face today

[Auntie Bush]

163. I think it all started by Rush and his fellow right wing HATE radio programs.

When you listen to hate all day long...you become hateful! His listeners become desensitized
and mimic his hateful, disgusting, misogynistic rhetoric.

[nineteen50]

22. This is what the psychopathic corporate culture

is doing to us.

[freshwest]

23. K & R, one of the best explanations of the world I've seen in a long time.

[LWolf]

24. k&r

[Odin2005]

25. It's what everything is reduced to profit and "utility".

If you conceptualize people as cogs you will treat them as cogs.

[laundry_queen]

26. The lack of empathy is at the root of all that is evil

I truly believe that. Our society is definitely headed in the wrong direction. As it is right now, those who lack empathy are far more likely to succeed than an 'empath'. I get very angry that I try so hard to teach my kids empathy (especially because there's a strong possibility their dad is a sociopath and there is some evidence that shows it can be genetic which makes sense since my ex's family is littered with them, not to mention my own narcissistic parents) and yet I may actually be handicapping them in this crazy society that admires people who 'tell it like it is' or who destroy lives to get to the top. I definitely fear that we, as a species, are de-volving at the moment.

Excellent post, I agree with EVERY. SINGLE. WORD.

[StarsInHerHair]

54. & compare today with the 1930s, in films-you see all kinds of empathy there

W cultivated this on purpose, & the rest of the Right/Other Right/DLC/3rdWay/New Dems

[Behind the Aegis]

55. Was that sarcasm?

[StarsInHerHair]

56. Hell no! My Man Godfrey is 1....there are SO many where they showed real

togetherness, in films, unlike today's "shared sacrifice" bs

[Pacifist Patriot]

71. I thoroughly agree. If you take a look at films and television shows....

as they progress through the decades there is a decided slide into meanness. The values presumed and extolled have changed radically.

[SoCalDem]

95. There's a great series running on PBS now. "America in Primetime"

It's about how primetime TV affects.reflects society through time..

Last week's episode was "Man of the House"...very enlightening

[CrispyQ]

101. Thanks. I will look for it.

"Miss Representation" is being shown again on OWS (Oprah's network) on Saturday. A lot of what is discussed in this documentary is relevant to the empathy issue.

[treestar]

83. I agree; I hate the way the selfish narcissists are rewarded

Then they use those excuses about how they worked hard and smart. No, they trampled on others. But they use the language of old fashioned virtue to pretend they have it and thus deserve success.

People in our society are admired for "knowing what they want and how to get it."

[ThoughtCriminal]

27. All Circus, no bread

And a pretty cheesy circus too.

[Lorien]

35. Very true. nt

[KoKo]

28. K&R

[DevonRex]

29. I love this post for so many reasons.

Thank you. KnR

[azul]

30. Loss from being divided into groups? Mirror neuron override.

"Iacoboni calls these “neurons for a secular morality.”

He also says that “labels” are what drive people apart. Because humans tend to separate each other into groups, we lose some ability to empathize with people on a humanistic level.

Iacoboni performed a fascinating experiment where he and his colleagues showed Democrats and Republicans photographs of candidates during the 2004 election. Whenever someone saw an image of a politician in his or her own party, that individual’s mirror neurons fired strongly, and he or she empathized with his or her fellow party members. It is easy for that person to imagine being that politician.

When that same individual recognized the image of someone in the opposite party, Iacobni’s team saw that a remarkable sequence of activity was triggered. The observer’s mirror neurons fired first, indicating a natural empathy. Then his or her logical conscious mind kicked in and suppressed the mirror neurons. In other words, observers started initially to empathize but then quelled this natural reaction by logical thought.

The implication of this sequence is significant. It means that our natural impulse is to empathize with others or, in the words of Iacoboni, “to create an immediate emotional connection with people.” It is only after we label someone as belonging to a different group, as being Republican or Democrat for example, that we consciously force away that emotional connection. As Iacoboni says, “The good news is that we are all alike, we are all human, we all eat, we all cry.” "

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kaihan-krippendorff/outthinker-mavericks-out-innovate-competition/born-be-good-mirror-neurons-h

[Kaleko]

38. Fantastic article.

Wow...

"Iacoboni, a UCLA neurologist & neuroscientist, is a leading authority on “mirror neurons,” a recently discovered phenomenon that some experts predict will transform neuroscience similarly to the way the discovery of DNA transformed biology. You see, Iacoboni studies a system in the brain that is called the “mirror neuron system,” which activates when we perform certain actions, think about certain actions or watch others make an action. What his research has found is that we see other people as ourselves reflected as if in a mirror."

Thank you for posting.

[gateley]

31. A definition of evil I read recently: Lack of empathy. nt

[flamingdem]

42. Yes, or a psychopath or.. these days often a republican nt

[Harmony Blue]

32. When good people do nothing

it hurts not only yourself in the long run but everyone around you.

[JDPriestly]

36. Wish I could recommend this a thousand times.

[applegrove]

43. Terror will shrink your circle on empathy a great deal. Reading books will expand it.

[flvegan]

44. I think that this might be the post of the decade here.

The loss of empathy (as if most idiots even had it, lol). More like a lack of empathy outside one's familial circle. 99% of this board wouldn't know empathy (nor how to deal with it) if it smacked them in the face. It's a kind of sad realization of what we've become, really.

All evil things are driven by ego. Ego trumps empathy in the weak minded and weak willed. Which is where you stand today with this post.

Responders...entertain me, please.

[kestrel91316]

45. We are a nation of sociopaths, by sociopaths, and for sociopaths.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

46. I rant about "Right Speech".

That is part of the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, but it applies everywhere.

Everywhere we have lies, malicious gossip, and hyper-criticism as the OP stated, of TV shows that delight in humiliation and competition.


I'm convinced that wrong speech destroys people.

And this old classic:

GREAT MINDS DISCUSS IDEAS
AVERAGE MINDS DISCUSS THINGS
SMALL MINDS DISCUSS OTHER PEOPLE

That's why the Republicans got nothing but name-calling. They don't have any ideas.

A website that talks about this www.wordscanheal.org

[Initech]

47. Considering the fact that Fat Bastard is still on the air (Rush) I agree.

It's all about humiliating the loser - and it's actually quite a sickening society we live in. Rush, or Fat Bastard, delights in humiliating anyone and everyone he can. He's definitely a huge part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[SirRevolutionary]

48. Right on!

You helped articulate what a lot of us were feeling, I think SoCalDem. I firmly believe it's a result of our corporate-minded leaders, and their masters with their "profits over people doctrine", and the lack of empathy is a result of self preservation for a lot of people. It's grown to epic proportions by now because they want us to stay separate, stay scared. Awesome OP :thumbsup:

[Art_from_Ark]

49. K&R

:kick:

[opihimoimoi]

50. YUP ED ZACHERY....well said..... :o)

ONE TWO THREE

Care....Share....Heal

village..Nation..Planet

Emotion..Cooperation...United Nations

[Behind the Aegis]

51. Agree, in some respect.

It is also creating narratives to demonize others is another issue, which may or may not be due to lack of empathy or misplaced empathy. Also, you shouldn't equate "lack of empathy" and "competition."

[Sirveri]

52. I've been thinking the same thing myself for a while.

I was taught to think of how my actions might impact others before I performed them. Now nobody cares. Talk on the phone in the middle of the movie, who cares *I* want to take this call, fuck everyone else. Drive around my neighborhood blasting my radio at 2AM, screw all the people trying to sleep. Maybe I'm just weird that I don't think these are good things...

[OneBlueSky]

53. it's all fall-out from Ronald Reagan's "ME Society" . . .

most people are so bound up in their own little worlds that they neither see nor care about what's happening to anyone else . . . if it doesn't involve pro football, NASCAR, Junior's Little League game, or American Idol, it simply doesn't register on their life screens . . . it's still all about "I got mine . . . you go get yours", with little or no understanding that so many simply can't go get theirs -- due to illness, disability, lack of education, no skills, prejudice and bigotry, etc. . .

seems we've evolved into a true "ME Society", thanks in large part to Ronnie and that idiotic grin . . .

[bvar22]

98. As an American now in his 60s,

I would also place this paradigm shift in values as coinciding with the Reagan Presidency,
but I am not so quick to blame Reagan.
Did Reagan cause "Greed is Good",
or did his presidency reflect the Tipping Point shift in American Values at that time.

I believe the latter is closer to the truth.
I'm more inclined to blame Archie Bunker than Ronald Reagan.


Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[malaise]

58. A wonderful post

100% correct
rec

[cate94]

59. Great post

[whathehell]

60. Agreed...The callousness mean-spiritedness in our culture is growing and it's depressing and scary.

The "mean-tough" is quite "popular" in our culture right now..I can't tell you

how many shows I've stopped watching, or how much fiction I've stopped reading

because of it.

[barbtries]

61. i would add

that there is a dearth of compassion in our society. and too much greed.

[Stuart G]

62. Thanks For Posting, k and r..

[OneGrassRoot]

63. I agree. The systemic dehumanization of others is devastating. If we could only....

[CrispyQ]

103. ...or walk a mile in another woman's shoes.

Damn, I hope she doesn't wear heels! ;)

Judging someone is always done within the context of your own life - that's what's so harmful about it.

[myrna minx]

64. Wonderful post. K&R. n/t

[Locrian]

65. root cause - maybe ....

I think the "lack of empathy" is of course a problem. But I'm not sure it's the "root cause". I think that our culture has become one where we ONLY have a system that values $$$. Nothing else is given an equal importance, or it's importance has become "second place" to the almighty $$.

When you have this system: one that effectively removes the good parts of "human-ness" then I think it's easy to see why "empathy" gets thrown under the bus.


Someone mentioned that lack of empathy was the "evilness". If so, then we got there by "selling our soul" to the devil ($$$) by accepting the value system of $$$ is the only thing that matters.






It doesnt help that the economy is totally corrupted: we don't even HAVE a market based economy. In order for ANY of the "free market" principles to function, the following MUST be true (see below). We have nothing even close to this - we have a corporatist/fascist version of the free market.


http://utopianist.com/2011/03/why-adam-smith-would-have-hated-wall-street/

* Buyers and sellers must be too small to influence the market price and must honor basic principles of honest dealing.
* Income and ownership must be equitably distributed.
* Complete information must be available to all participants, and there can be no trade secrets.
* Sellers must bear the full cost of the products they sell and incorporate it into the sale price.
* Investment capital must remain within national borders, and trade between countries must be balanced.
* Savings must be invested in the creation of productive capital rather than in speculative trading.

“These,” Korten argues, “are the characteristics of a real market economy. Wall Street capitalism violates them all.”

[Puglover]

66. One hell of an OP.

If I had only one rec a year this would be it. Thanks for posting.

[DesertFlower]

67. well said. nt

[russspeakeasy]

68. As always....follow the money.

[raccoon]

69. TV is to blame for much of this, and the Internet. Mass media most of the time appeals to people's

lowest motives, because it's easier. The cheap laugh, the gross out, Schadenfreud, etc., is
easier to portray than an actual plot.

Rec'd.

[Pacifist Patriot]

70. Wish I could recommend this a thousand times.

A state of dissociation from the human family is epidemic. I do credit popular culture with that as well. Our leadership and entertainment role models are more likely to be bullies than caregivers. It sad and sick. It's sad because it's sick.

[woo me with science]

72. Great post. It is also what allows this President and Congress to rationalize

slashing the safety nets of millions during the worst economy since the Great Depression, in order to enrich the few and continue wars that cause untold suffering.

[defendandprotect]

116. +1000% K/R

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

74. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The bit on the cooking shows is so right on. Hell's Kitchen is what I call pornography.

[raccoon]

75. When you think about it, in an economy based on consumption, this is exactly

the way the proles need to be--not caring and cooperating with each other, but only interested
in ME, ME, ME, and buying more stuff. More stuff than the other fellow.

And it's also the old "divide and conquer" ploy...

[bluethruandthru]

76. Thank you for putting into words what has been bothering me for a long time!

There is also a pervasive "meanness" in our country (in my opinion much more prevalent among conservatives). It was embarrassing to have this pointed out by the European press during our national "debate" about health care reform. It was noted how many Americans would rather continue to be robbed by insurance companies than support a health care system that would provide for people who they deemed "unworthy" of care.

[CrispyQ]

105. Our liberal cartoonists are so damned good at getting to the crux of the message:

[bluethruandthru]

109. excellent! n/t

[BanzaiBonnie]

77. Yesterday, I posted this as my facebook status:

Gratitude is something that arises naturally in situations of scarcity. Now, we don't want induce scarcity to activate gratitude, but gratitude is a skill we can and probably should teach our children.


The same goes for empathy and compassion. They are skills that can and should be taught to our children.

[JonLP24]

80. I know someone who literally has no empathy

Seriously none. I don't think it has anything to do with choice, just the way the person it is. Eye-opening to experience on a first-hand basis. Interesting thread, K&R.

[Blue_Tires]

81. I've been thinking the same thing

It's time to re-evaluate where we want to go as a nation, because the evil-hearted "government for the some" is a game that will make us all losers, even the 1% (eventually)

[elzenmahn]

84. K&R...

The root of the problem, well said.

I have one comment regarding the posts dealing with the role of $$. To me, money is but a vehicle to express the attitudes of individuals and societies, insofar as the things we value and prioritize. Money, by itself, isn't the root of the evil as much as it is the way that evil is expressed. Only when enough of us see how "fiat" money really is in the grander scheme of things (like the survival of our species and the planet), then we can get to the real core issue of our society's (and perhaps, our own) empathy deficits and start addressing the problems that face us.

[azul]

89. Money is a useful but humbling creation of man.

It has been bred into the emotional repertoire of people for many generations. It is like a drug in the brain with emotional rewards that shut down or bend rational thought. It has been observed that most everyone has a price.

[dotymed]

85. Thank you for this article. n/t

[Beavker]

87. Even worse, none of these sociopaths would say they lack it.

They are the best person in the world, the smartest, and the most caring in their own minds, yet their actions speak otherwise.

People in this country now strive to be this way.

We'll pay for it too...even more so than we already have. I'm not talking about the Wrath of God, I'm talking about Mother Nature and and Human Nature. It'll come to a head.

[shireen]

88. You say it very well

You've stated the root of the problems. It permeates society from dumb tv shows to looking away as children are brutalized.

I'm not sure how we solve the problem. Our media and government are owned by big money. And big money didn't get to their position of power with empathy.

That's why i love the Occupy movement so much. The people doing it have deep empathy, among other fine qualities. They are true patriots.

[KansDem]

91. "TV shows delight in humiliating people." It all started in the 1970s

This has been the history of the TV sitcom

1950s--"family style" situations. Shows like "Leave It to Beaver" played-up the "Faust" legend: essentially good people who "sell their soul to the devil" but were later redeemed. The Beav would be tempted by Larry Mondello to do something he knew was wrong. But the ending had him find forgiveness as he confesses to Ward.

1960s--era of the "goofy" sitcoms. Shows like "F Troop," "The Munsters," "Green Acres" Everybody was insane with the perhaps the exception of one character...

1970s--era of the "putdown." One character becomes the bunt of jokes and ridicule. Ted Baxter on "Mary Tyler Moore," Major Burns on "M*A*S*H," Archie Bunker on "In the Family"...

Perhaps it all started with Don Rickles "hockey puck" humor...

[defendandprotect]

113. Agree -- the destruction of broadcasting in service to the public was accelerated ....

with the arrival of TV which -- but the introduction of actual VIOLENCE began

immediately after the coup on JFK in '63 -- and by the 70's they had the Drug War

to frighten the public with.

Post WWII, "I Love Lucy" was the first inane distraction at a time when we should

have all been discussing "banning the bomb" -- and Segregation -- !!

And paying more attention to McCarthy Era -- Ike and MIC -- on and on.


Don't know who's left watching anything on TV -- but it can't be many.

People can't possibly be that stupid.


Another thing that has always bugged me is the "lines" given to young kids making

them seem intelligent and humorous beyond their years. What kind of an effect does

that have on young kids? Do they begin to think they're simply lacking in intelligence

and wit? Do they begin to hate themselves?

[femrap]

99. Native Americans

speak of 'Wetiko' as a disease that affects the soul. It has infiltrated our society and is epidemic, imho.

Unfortunately there are many families that don't have empathy for the other family members...

The USofA has become a sadistic and cruel culture...just like the examples set by the 'leaders' of 2000 to 2008.

OWS!

[CrispyQ]

100. I believe the loss of empathy stems from our hyper-individualistic culture.

When a culture doesn't value community, how can you expect empathy? We all have our small exclusive communities, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, but beyond that, our communities are not very inclusive. America is frequently referred to as a melting pot, when it's really more like a patch work quilt. We lack broad scope of community.

Our digital world has contributed, too. At the grocery store, people talk with their exclusive community on cell phones, while blocking the aisle to those in their real, here-and-now community. Why? Because they don't see the real world people as part of their community.

I can't tell you how much I hate the phrase, "We take care of our own." That kind of attitude led several grown men to cover the heinous crimes of "one of their own." That kind of attitude is leading to the destruction of our environment.

We're all in this together & until we start acting that way, we don't stand a chance.

Good post, SoCalDem. This is a critical topic that should be addressed nationally, instead of the rubbish our corrupt & compromised media serves up every day.

[defendandprotect]

115. We have a culture which has been taught and sold to us -- RW propaganda does work --

especially when there is no counter-argument from Demcorats who have adopted

SILENCE as a political mode -- !!


Corporate money buys a lot of silence -- !!

[patrice]

121. The thing about OUR hyper-individualistic culture is that it ends up being the opposite of

individualism.

Our enslavement of ourselves & others results in conformity to an abstraction about "individuality" that isn't very individual at all, because it is "individuality" that is defined by, experiences are limited to, its own abstractions about what individuality is. It isn't phenomenologically free of itself; it isn't free enough not to be itself, let alone to BE any other.

[SoCalDem]

125. so true

[patrice]

129. Not sure I quite got that across. American "individualism" is reactionary, not original. nt

[CrispyQ]

171. That's a spot on observation & makes me rethink the hyper-individual thing,

because you are right, what TPTB want all along is conformity, a society that is afraid to look, live or believe differently than the status quo. So really, displays of 'individualism,' like blocking the grocery aisle while others try to get by, are nothing more than rudeness & selfishness. That certainly describes our society - rudeness & selfishness run amok.

We're more pathetic than I even thought. I hope OWS is a spark of true change.

[efhmc]

102. I have repeated this thought on numerous threads. The lack of

understanding and care of the plight of others is astounding to me.

[AnneD]

104. My Nurse friends and I were talking about this very thing....

just last night. It makes it so easy to vilefy and take away anyones humanity. Honestly, since when did firemen, school teacher, or other public employees become public ememy number one (we are all school Nurses so we get a double dose). This is but one of the small steps toward ethnic cleansing. It is nothing but a way to distract us from our common misery. I don't even bother to watch TV anymore.

[SoCalDem]

107. I can still remember how I used to look forward to the TV Guide

just before the fall shows started up. (To be fair..I was in my teens then)

These days I am very selective, and often will DVR a new series until I have 3 or 4 shows and only then will I watch ep #1..If it's a stinker, I just remove that from my list..

I do not watch any "reality" stuff...

[AnneD]

145. I am proud to say...

I have never watched a full episode of a reality program. I just don't get it. That goes for dancing with the stars, American idol, survivors, you name it.

Gave up TV for Lent three years ago and never picked it back up. I catch a few minutes here and there so I have a clue. I never really thought about it much until 2 months ago, I met with some good very long time friends for breakfast. They started talking about some tv show. The more they carried on about it the less I wanted to know about it. for over an hour they talked about it. That was the first time I ever felt out of it.

Now don't get me wrong, I love entertainment (I have enough videos to run my own store), but I could do without that. I'd rather read a book or Ipad. I am not totally hopeless.

[davidthegnome]

106. Evolved society...

My Father has often talked about how an evolved society would behave. I like his ideas - but I really don't think we've ever seen an evolved society to be able to tell the difference. At least - I certainly haven't.

Empathy is lacking - in large part because we have schools of thought that say empathy is illogical. That passion (or even compassion) should not take the place of logic or self preservation. I have always considered empathy to be the greatest thing we human beings are capable of. To share the pain of another, to care passionately because of our understanding of the pain someone feels, to be inspired to help out. All of history's greatest social and spiritual leaders have had a great store of empathy, they have demonstrated it's value, proven time and again that it can overcome tyranny, greed, oppression, even selfishness and hatred.

Part of the problem is how massive our lines of communication have become - can we feel the world's pain? Perhaps, perhaps that is why so many shut down and surrender to apathy. To read the news extensively - to really know what's going on in the world around us, if our empathy is intact... is beyond painful. It is depressing, agonizing and frightening.

So much devastation in the world today, so much greed, corruption, crime, destruction. Is it any different than in the past? I feel that it is, in the past we did not have climate change to contend with - the knowledge that, despite our best efforts, it is entirely likely that the days of humanity, along with many of the creatures we share this world with... perhaps those days are numbered.

Lack of empathy is a terrible thing, but it is often brought about by overwhelming the sensitive among us, overwhelming our capacity to feel or to care. This is in part why anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications have become so widely prescribed and used over the last few decades. I do not think I would be even mildly sane without them myself.

Terrible things happening all around us, but nothing is more terrible than the death of hope and empathy. Without them we become less than human, less than alive, a crude mockery of what we could be. Yet there is still great empathy around the world, to be seen in the generosity of others when giving, when sharing, when going out of their way to help someone they do not know. If we truly did not care, if we did not dare to hope for better or have the empathy to wish to change or stop terrible suffering... I do not think we would be here, on this forum, discussing it. We would be on a right wing Christian forum - or over at the free republic, screaming; "Bring it on rapture! Jesus take me home!" Or similar idiocy.

The things you mention are grave - but not so grave as to give up. There is some good television still, there are those who do not enjoy humiliating and laughing at others. There are those who would give you the shirt off their backs even were they freezing. No matter how overwhelming things may become, there are still so many who dare to hope and dare to strive for something greater for all of us. You can see this in OWS, in the thoughtful and empathetic statements by others here and elsewhere. You can see it in in a kind person's smile, you can hear it in a child's laughter.

Though I suffer with apathy and struggle to maintain my sensitivity, I have not given up. I have not given up largely because we human beings are capable of such a great thing as empathy. When we can feel the pain of another, we can do something to diminish it or heal it. When we truly rise above greed and selfishness, we can accomplish beautiful, stunning, amazing things that change the world. Gandhi, Budha, Christ, we have examples from history to show us the way. Don't give in to despair - I strongly believe that a better age, an age of greater enlightenment... is right around the corner.

For when you hit the bottom, you can only go up.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

108. Society has all been conditioned (trained?) to ignore the suffering of others.

What our society has failed to realize is this is to the detriment of our each person's own best interest, not just those whose suffering society has been ignoring. When it's their turn to be the one being ignored by the calloused and hardened hearts of society, it then, and only then, becomes their problem.

I'm not Christian, but I was raised under the religion. I freely admit I found much pleasure in the words of Jesus. As a child I always thought him a kind and loving person with the best interest of the masses in his heart. When I look around me today, at a society in which a majority pretends to be Christian, I'm always reminded of this verse.

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me." Somewhere in the book of Matthew.

And this one:

"You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Somewhere in the book of James.

Like I said I don't subscribe to religion anymore and this is from when I was very young. If I got any of it too wrong I'm not trying to insult the Christians here. In a philosophical manner of thinking there's wisdom in these words. It's a pity more people refuse to see that wisdom.

[defendandprotect]

110. Biggest Question re Penn State is why witness didn't stop Sandusky's abuse of 10 year old???

Just shouting at him probably would have stopped it --

grabbing the child and getting him home -- and reporting to his parents and police.

We have to make sure that EVERY witness understands they have to report to police --

and that if at all possible, they should try to stop the attack!

[LittleGirl]

111. Brilliant and nice to read

thanks for posting.

[FirstLight]

112. beautifully said

It is true that we are living in that harsh world...but also true that unity and altruism are making a comeback.
I am naieve enough to think that most of us are inherently good... and that the 99% movements are revealing to us the need to pull together, to share our resources, etc...
it's coming, I promise. the more we shine the light on those aspects of society and behavior that are not healthy for us as a whole, the more and more we talk about the need for empathy...the more opportunity there is to make the Good response the FIRST one. we have to reteach ourselves and eachother...and tune out the background noise that the PTB would have us ingest 24-7 that tells us it's survival of the fittest.

[Fokker Trip]

117. Fantastic OP, gets right to the core of things.

Has anyone else considered that the rise in numbers of Sociopaths may be tied to our overgrown population and other negative societal and environmental issues?

What if there is an evolutionary switch in human DNA that increases the number of sociopaths in society to aid in "thinning the herd"?

I read a post yesterday about evolving consciousness in (some?) humans and wonder too if this won't shape up over time into a war between those led by sociopaths (sociopathic followers? like authoritarian followers) and those who have reached a state of evolved empathic consciousness.

I have been studying mindfulness in my own life for a year or so and it has had a tremendously positive impact on my life. After an adult lifetime of depression, regret and fear I finally have found a way to calm my fears and ease my depression through being present. Its so simple in concept but was an utterly astounding set of ideas for me.

Controlling ones mind is never taught to us as children, but our thinking mind is just a tool, one of many within us and should only be used consciously. The unconscious mind allows for a human being with no empathy. It is the never ending immersion in ones own mind that allows this fear and regret based culture to thrive.

Great comments by all.

I have lost most of my old friends as I now seem to make them uncomfortable, but I am so much more content within myself. Its a worthwhile trade-off.

[SoCalDem]

118. Yes.. arriving at a point in life where you no longer worry about

what others think about the way you dress..the shoes you wear..your haircut etc. is very freeing also:)

[bbgrunt]

146. I find your reply epitomizes one of the

conundrums about "mindfulness", or new age type philosophies, or the lure of religions such as Buddhism that I feel. You state:

"I have lost most of my old friends as I now seem to make them uncomfortable, but I am so much more content within myself. Its a worthwhile trade-off.

.....if becoming more enlightened causes one to radiate in one's own light rather than part of a community, does this really represent an increase in empathy?

This is not a criticism but a conflict I have often felt when I turn to such philosophies. The only resolution of this problem seems to be to stay engaged in a community and try to put beliefs into action in the still very impure real world.

[reggie the dog]

120. ecstacy is illegal because mdma helps people find empathy

and the powers that be hate empathy

[Pooka Fey]

122. K&R

[felix_numinous]

126. K&R

The OWS movement arose at the end of the 911 decade of open corruption, greed, lies and violence. The authoritative model wishes to take away personal choice by convincing people that we live in a cruel world and need to be protected by them. Their program is to create distrust amongst people and to obstruct self empowerment and cooperation. Rather than inspire people to create constructive solutions of their own, they sow dissent, and this is a crime against society.

When people lose their personal choice, they become vulnerable to addictions and depression. I truly believe what Howard Zinn said, that the most dangerous threat to society is not disobedience, it is obedience. Mainstream entertainment has been conditioning us for a long time. There have been incremental increases in police brutality being represented in programming as something normal. It is not.

The authoritative program aims to convince people we are not worthy to have power, the airwaves are full of dysfunctional people having meltdowns and preying on each other because that is what they wish us to do. Followed by the inevitable attractive representative of the establishment to come to the rescue!

The OWS movement is an antithesis to this paradigm, and a true threat to them because people are becoming wise to their tricks. Alternative media is saturated with real humanity, authentic stories and of acts of compassion, cooperation and bravery. People are resisting being programmed into fighting with each other and for the establishment, which is a profoundly powerful shift in consciousness. I hope it continues to grow.

[frazzled]

127. An excellent analysis, and I might add

It applies to our discussions right here very often. We are all guilty of it. Making snide remarks to a poster who has misunderstood an issue; responding meanly to someone with whom we disagree. All's fair in these kinds of 'fights,' one might say ... but you never know how an unkind word will affect someone personally. I try to be careful myself but freely admit that I often often fail to empathize in this way.

Other things in our society show a great lack of empathy as well. I remember something that started somewhere back in the 90s. It involved how boarding on airplanes was done. I watched a Delta flight board it's special (I'm making up these terms now) "Gold Club," "Mile High Club," "Super Frequent Traveler Club" members, and then first class and business class passengers--all as I watched an extremely elderly gentleman standing in line for a very long time, leaning on his cane; a frail little old lady with a bag who needed help; and a young mother with a baby strapped to her chest, a toddler in tow, and a stroller. They all had to wait for the 'moneyed' classes to board first. I was appalled. Whatever happened to giving the first seats to the elderly and mothers with young children? I was so angry I called both Delta and my US Rep and Senator. Delta wasn't responsive, but surprisingly the staff at my legislators' offices were interested.

It all starts from a young age. Teach your children to open doors for elderly citizens or give up their seats--because empathy for the larger societal issues really begins at this kind of basic, personal level. You may have to rinse and repeat this advice for a number of years before it sinks in. I recently got on a crowded bus in New York, my feet aching, and got the last possible seat on the bus. A few minutes later a REALLY old lady got on, and I rose and said to her, "Please take my seat." As I worked my way back in the bus to go stand where my husband was, I remarked "I'm glad there's someone on this bus older than me!" This led to the passengers starting a conversation about age, their grandparents, etc. What fun to talk to perfect strangers on a NYC bus!

[MedleyMisty]

156. For me

I think my snide remarks are a result of the cultural lack of empathy and delight in ignorance. After a decade of fighting it, I'm tired. I expect humans to be informed about what's going on. It's part of the responsibility of living in a world with other beings in it, to know what your choices are doing to others.

Like with Libya. The people who believed the pro-Gaddafi propaganda were nasty and accusing those of us who supported the Libyans of all sorts of things. And I got very attached to the Libyans I follow on Twitter, and so I tend to take anti-Libyan posts very personally, as an attack on my friends. And so I fight back.

I know it's a problem, and I'm working on it. It's always been easy for me to inform myself and to understand what's going on, and I never learned empathy for people for whom it's not so easy.

You know those posts about unpacking white privilege, or male privilege, or hetero privilege? Maybe I need to do one about unpacking my intellectual privilege.

[SoCalDem]

157. I hear you..

I have a sarcastic/dry sense of humor and sometime the snark escapes:)..but I try to reserve snark for those who really deserve it:)

[MissDeeds]

131. Very well said

K&R

[a2liberal]

132. K&R (n/t)

[earcandle]

133. Empathy with each other, and scrutiny for our leaders is required.

Nice voting across the country. Thanks and shout outs to
Mississippi and to Ohio for restoring pieces of our lost
Democracy back to us. 

Hmmm.. will this regulatory body be staffed and funded? 

Don't let it be rendered powerless by a congress derelict in
his/her duties to levy compulsory tax revenue without favor so
that there is money in our coffers to spend on services and
infrastructure and funding and good jobs. We have derelict
members of congress who have authorized and directed the
railroading of our earned revenue away from our treasury,
essentially de-funding our legal budgetary obligations. Our
funds that run our country have been channeled instead into
other avenues. Is this mismanagement due to ignorance, or is
it RICO? 

Those who authorized loans to pay our bills, instead of
collecting revenue, are beholden to the shareholders of The
Federal Reserve Bank  and are responsible for our debt. Are
Congress members or staff shareholders? Conflict of Interest
and Rules of Ethics clearly state that our leaders cannot be
bribed, so how are they getting away with this lobbying
moneyed buying of our normal operations? 

Our leaders have deserted their duty to collect our earned
revenue through a system of billings, and if needed, liens.
Instead of the usual prosperity we experience when people
abide by tax code law (which is compulsory tax without favor),
we have a deficit made from financing, making loans with The
Federal Reserve Bank. We pay compound interest expense until
the deficit is paid. The income side goes to shareholders at
6%. 

Is this misdirection of our funds just mismanagement? 

Or is this a direct path meant to dismantle and de-stabilize
America? 

And doesn't this amount to treason? Punishable by Marine
firing squad, after a military tribunal, is it? 

Or do we empathize with criminals and accept the good old boyz
crowd getting away with whatever they damn well please, and
let the dominoes fall where they may again..like who cares...?


Either way, I like this new wake up call. Votes like this make
me happy. You? I feel it takes the edge off of the possibility
that we have no control. We do. 
We can still communicate with our principles intact
collectively. Thank you all who voted.

[hifiguy]

134. Best DU thread I've read in a long while.

Thanks for posting.

[tilsammans]

136. One of the bests posts EVER on DU!

Thank you. :grouphug:

[AnotherMother4Peace]

137. Even the Cooking Channel causes me stress to watch - wars & vote offs & nasty critiques

Your essay is a very good read. Thank you.

[SoCalDem]

141. I am an insomniac, so I watch a LOT of "weird" tv shows in the wee hours

One of my favorites is a sewing show.

http://www.nancysnotions.com/jump.do?itemID=5&itemType=LANDING&page=tvshow


Never mind that my sewing machine (dust-covered) is buried in the spare room and I never sew anymore...I enjoy watching this low-key, calm show:)

I have zero interest in cupcake wars..dueling chefs or kitchen cuss-out:)

[Tumbulu]

139. You are so correct- I don't have a tv

but when I do watch (at a hotel or someone's house) I am so horrified by how people are humiliated on purpose- in front of audiences- I just become distraught. Why are the producers doing this? Why is it entertaining to watch someone be humiliated?

Thanks for the bringing it up.

[get the red out]

140. Excellent post!

I wonder if people lose empathy when they feel absolutely powerless to change anything?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

142. Sporting events and the mindset behind college funding via sports, feeds the problem.

We've seen all kinds of cheating via steroids in sports, or payment for test answers in universities. The lack of empathy was bound to follow since we appear to value sports above education. And it continues on into the business world after college. Once cheating is accepted, and moral values cast off, we see the corruption of the whole system.

The loss of empathy seems like a bi-product.

[SoCalDem]

143. My stomach turns every time some fat-assed 60 yr old senator

gets all dewy-eyed when he brags about HIS "team"...as if he graduated college last month..or when they make those ridiculous bets..


I also have a "fat-ass", so I'm not being anti-empathetical:P

[duhneece]

147. "... Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”

“In my work with the defendants (at the Nuremberg Trials 1945-1949)
I was searching for the nature of evil and I now think I have come close to defining it. A lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants, a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow men.


Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”
Quotation: Captain G. M. Gilbert, the Army psychologist assigned to
watching the defendants at the Nuremberg trials

[Lydia Leftcoast]

148. In ever organization or group I've ever been involved with

the people at the top set the tone. That's true in companies, schools, clubs, churches, tour groups, political parties, any time human beings are organized into groups.

An organization with dysfunctional leadership will inevitably be dysfunctional.

Our politicians are saying that it's OK to care more about the welfare of the wealthy than the welfare of the poor. They say that it's OK to invade other countries (making life miserable for their inhabitants and killing and maiming tens of thousands of your own young people in the process0 because you want their natural resources.

Our industrialists and banksters are saying that it's more important to increase dividends to the shareholders and bonuses to the executives than to make sure that Americans have living-wage jobs.

Our media moguls are greenlighting projects in which the actors or "reality" participants reflect appalling values of callousness, greed, disregard for others feelings, manipulative behavior, all the sociopathic traits.

One of my Facebook friends described the Penn State riots as a sign of the moral degeneracy of the United States. I'm beginning to agree with him

[great white snark]

149. K&R. Excellent post and responses.

Thank you.

[sabrina 1]

154. Very well said.

I wonder if this appeal to the lowest common denominator in society, the elevation of the worst of our society to positions of power, is a sign of a declining empire, if these symptoms were present before the decline of other powerful nations?

It's clear that people don't matter anymore and especially those who are vulnerable.

[Romulox]

158. How can we "COMPETE!" with each other in a Darwinian economic struggle from 9-5,

then be empathetic with those "competitors" in the evening? Not possible. :shrug:

[reggie the dog]

167. MDMA, Ecstacy, helps you feel empathy

the key is to remember the feeling and have it even when not taking mdma, i am convinced that mdma is illegal because it helps people have empathy,

[davidthegnome]

170. Serotonin

The effect on EX on your brain's serotonin is, most likely, why it's illegal. I've known plenty of people who have tried it - though I've never quite had the nerve to do it myself. The ups are great - but coming back down...

When you severely deplete your brain's serotonin level through repeated use, it's possible you could end up needing anti-depressants for the rest of your life. Now I'm no expert on the subject, but I've heard from people I trust that it can cause permanent brain damage. Then again - everyone's brain chemistry is different. What has a terrible effect on others won't bother some. I've heard the descriptions of feeling as one with the universe, peace in simply existing.

The key I think, is to be able to do that without needing an aid. Which is not to say I can do that either. Alcohol and the occasional joint are my poisons of choice (on the weekends - at night). Maybe though, through meditation, or greater inner peace.... hell, I'm on medications anyway, you probably shouldn't take my advice too seriously.

Just be careful if you do take it, make sure it's from someone you can trust and that you're not going to be alone. I think that's sound advice, even from a madman like me.

[reggie the dog]

172. i noticed mdma had no comedown for me IF

i used it in moderation, i ate it 3 times in 6 weeks once and had a serious bad comedown for 5 days.

MDMA, for me, is like LSD, a tool to be used once in a while, one or 2 times a year max.

it actually was a medecine for people in therapy before being made illegal.

i know other people who did it every weekend for over a year and are fine, but there is no way i could do that

[October]

173. EXCELLENT post.

I cannot watch TV... the combative nature of these so-called reality shows is beyond offensive.

It's not entertainment -- not for me, any way.

[sendero]

174. Our media and our culture..

.. .has been dividing us into "winners" and "losers" since about the early 90s. I no longer think it is the random walk of pop culture I think it has a purpose.

The trick is keeping the "losers" thinking that they are "winners", which so far is working pretty well overall.