Thursday, December 27, 2007

Knee-Jerk Jerks Have Empathy Deficiency Disorder

I think when right-wingers post or leave their self-absorbed, often anger-fueled comments about any suggestion that our culture preserve shared resources (water) or should provide shared services (transit), I think I'll just repeat this link about empathy deficit disorder (EDD), and how to deal with it.

4 comments:

James Wigderson said...

I find it absolutely fascinating that liberals are so emotionally stunted that the the only way they can empathize with their fellow man is via force of the state.

Perhaps the good doctor could suggest treatment...

James Rowen said...

JIm: I'm not sure what you mean by "only way" and the "force of the state."

Is it because I listed an inability to relate to the social provision of services, like transit, by government?

What you call "the state," ominously, when government is also by the people, collectively.

Empathy is all about identifying with other people.

So when there is hostility towards commonly-provided services or programs, of course that means other people receiving or having access to those things.

I'm not discounting yje importance of charity, volunteeris, or other private acts of concern, kindness and generosity.

I was commenting on public displays (postings, comments) that had "no empathy" writ large.

What am I missing in the thinking about your comment?

James Rowen said...

Again, to Jim:

The word following "discounting" in the 3rd graph from the end is supposed to be "the."

Typing with only one contact lens inserted, then failing to check the spellings, is stupid on my part.

xoff said...

I think it all depends on the meaning of the word yje.

I can empathize with that.