We often think of our capacity to experience the suffering of others as the ultimate source of goodness. But new research makes the case that some of the worst decisions made by individuals and nations are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions, and specifically empathy. Do we have too little empathy? Or too much?
1. What is empathy?
Sympathy – feeling for someone. Your
emotional reaction to their feeling
Compassion – concern for the
misfortune or suffering of others
The ability to
understand and
experience
another person’s
feelings
2. Why is empathy good?
Empathy makes us care about other
people because their pain and joy
become our pain and joy.
3. Empathy in scripture
Islam
Qur’an: Chapter 9, Verse 128 – There
has certainly come to you a Messenger
from among yourselves. Grievous to
him is what you suffer.
4. Empathy in scripture
Judaism
Exodus 23:9 – You shall not oppress a
resident alien; you know the heart of an
alien, for you were aliens in the land of
Egypt.
[Another translation “you yourselves
know how it feels to be aliens.”]
5. Empathy in scripture
Christianity
- Romans 12:15 – Paul said we should
“rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn
with those who mourn.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:26 – Paul says that
“If one member suffers, all suffer
together; if one member is honored, all
rejoice together.”
6. Empathy in scripture
John 11: 33-35
“When Jesus saw
Lazarus’ sister, Mary,
weeping, and the
Jews who had come
along with her also
weeping, he was
deeply moved in
spirit and troubled. . .
(35) “Jesus wept.”
7. Empathy in scripture
Buddhism
- “Sentimental compassion” (empathy)
- “Great compassion” - love for others without
empathetic attachment or distress.
Teaching: “Sentimental compassion
(empathy) is to be avoided, as it exhausts
you. Whereas great compassion, which is
more distanced and reserved, and can be
sustained indefinitely.”
13. 4) Empathy can overwhelm us
and prevent us from doing good
Husband and wife rescue team
Buddhist experiment
14. 5) Empathy drives short term
thinking with long-term
consequences
Child beggars in India
Cambodian orphanages
War lords in Africa
15. How these problems creep into
our public policy
Victim statements during the sentencing
phase
◦ How much they cry, same skin color
War experiment
◦ Measured empathy
◦ Response to atrocity (0 = nothing, 2 =
economic, 4 = air strikes, 6 = full-scale
invasion)
Foreign Aid
◦ Often puts local farmers and
markets out of business
16. Action Items
Listen to your head, not your heart
when making moral, charity, fairness, and justice
decisions
Visit effectivealtruism.org – “Rather than
just doing what feels right, we use evidence and
careful analysis to find the very best causes to
work on.”
Use givewell.org – monitor the efficacy of
charities to determine which ones make the most
difference
17. Discussion Questions
1. Do you find any of the arguments against
empathy compelling? Which ones and why?
2. Describe a recent decision that you made out
of empathy that you might want to rethink.
3. What are some parts of your life that you
think would be better if you were more
empathetic?
4. What are some strategies you could use to
keep yourself from making poor decisions
based on empathetic appeals?
18. Closing Quote
“Perhaps empathy is like milk. Adults
don’t need milk; we do fine without it. But
babies need milk to grow. [Perhaps
empathy is] the developmental core of
morality. . . but ultimately we develop
caring without having to step into other
people’s shoes.”
-- Paul Bloom