But not empathy - feeling the suffering of others too acutely leads to exhaustion, burnout and ineffective work. Our empathy can be exploited by others, as when cynical politicians tell stories of victims of rape or assault and use our empathy for these victims to stoke hatred against vulnerable groups, such as undocumented immigrants.įor those in the helping professions, compassion and understanding are critically important. We can choose to empathize and stir empathy for others. A good policy maker makes decisions using reason, aspiring toward the sort of fairness and impartiality empathy doesn't provide.Įmpathy isn’t just a reflex, of course. When we appreciate that skin color does not determine who we should care about, for example, or that a crisis such as climate change has great significance - even though it is an abstract threat - we are transcending empathy. Empathy has its place but reason should guide action, as it aspires toward the sort of fairness and impartiality empathy doesn't provide.
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