Empathy--September 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Empathy
Photo by John CarrollNew York Times
David Brooks
September 30, 2011
"Nobody is against empathy. Nonetheless, it’s insufficient. These days empathy has become a shortcut. It has become a way to experience delicious moral emotions without confronting the weaknesses in our nature that prevent us from actually acting upon them. It has become a way to experience the illusion of moral progress without having to do the nasty work of making moral judgments. In a culture that is inarticulate about moral categories and touchy about giving offense, teaching empathy is a safe way for schools and other institutions to seem virtuous without risking controversy or hurting anybody’s feelings."
1 comment:
This is a subject close to my heart, feeling kind of guilty for the world being in the state it is, you've inspired me to put a few thoughts on (virtual) paper: http://wp.me/p19kcJ-cs