Lack of empathy

Olive8585 · 20-05-2014 06:12PM #1

Is it just me or are lots of people totally devoid of empathy these days?

Something awful happens to someone and instead of just saying 'poor them' or 'that's awful' people find ways to blame the victim and say they brought it on themselves.

Anyone else find this?

genericguy · 20-05-2014 06:14PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Is it just me or are lots of people totally devoid of empathy these days?

Something awful happens to someone and instead of just saying 'poor them' or 'that's awful' people find ways to blame the victim and say they brought it on themselves.

Anyone else find this?

Example?

Olive8585 · 20-05-2014 06:16PM

genericguy wrote: »

Example?

Colleague slipped on a piece of fruit someone had thrown on the floor in a supermarket and seriously injured her hip...freak accident that could have happened to anyone.

Cue the responses from colleagues 'oh she should have been more careful/looked where she was going'

As if they walk around looking at the floor on the off chance some pr1ck has dropped something dangerous there.

Sheldons Brain · 20-05-2014 06:17PM

More likely people have empathy for the perpetrator than the victim. " He had too much to drink" "She was only 18"

Wazdakka · 20-05-2014 06:20PM

Empathy is the capacity to recognise emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being.

Sympathy (from the Greek words syn "together" and pathos "feeling" which means "fellow-feeling") is the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another human being..

I think that people are still plenty Empathetic...
They absolutely recognise the emotions that other people are going through.

But a lot of them just absolutely don't care...

:-(

Olive8585 · 20-05-2014 06:27PM

Wazdakka wrote: »

Empathy is the capacity to recognise emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being.

Sympathy (from the Greek words syn "together" and pathos "feeling" which means "fellow-feeling") is the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another human being..

I think that people are still plenty Empathetic...
They absolutely recognise the emotions that other people are going through.

But a lot of them just absolutely don't care...

:-(

I mean people lack empathy - they can't seem to identify or put themselves in the position of another person and think about how it would feel if it happened to them.

Princess Peach · 20-05-2014 06:29PM

I got an image of a woman comically slipping on a banana skin and laughed.

gugleguy · 20-05-2014 06:32PM

OP you posted on AH so expect AH type replies.

Olive8585 · 20-05-2014 06:34PM

gugleguy wrote: »

OP you posted on AH so expect AH type replies.

Yeah that's fine, better than the shame of getting no replies.

Muise... · 20-05-2014 06:52PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Colleague slipped on a piece of fruit someone had thrown on the floor in a supermarket and seriously injured her hip...freak accident that could have happened to anyone.

Cue the responses from colleagues 'oh she should have been more careful/looked where she was going'

As if they walk around looking at the floor on the off chance some pr1ck has dropped something dangerous there.

Maybe the crazy compensation cases people have won for such accidents have worn down the sympathy of others?

That, and some people actively seeking sympathy by constantly moaning on social media, when addressing their problem head on might be more effective (only then they couldn't moan any more).

Banjo String · 20-05-2014 07:02PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Colleague slipped on a piece of fruit someone had thrown on the floor in a supermarket and seriously injured her hip ...freak accident that could have happened to anyone.

Cue the responses from colleagues 'oh she should have been more careful/looked where she was going'

As if they walk around looking at the floor on the off chance some pr1ck has dropped something dangerous there.

That's bananas, er I mean nuts.... Sorry..... Er.........

Mangoes. Blueberries. Peaches. Kiwi. Potatoes.

beks101 · 20-05-2014 07:03PM

I think it's just an AH thing. 'Look how edgy I am not giving a sh1t about this big tragedy that everyone is talking about' etc

Saying that I find the hand-wringing bleeding heart crowd just as insufferable as the blame-the-victim brigade.

Muise... · 20-05-2014 07:03PM

Banjo String wrote: »

That's bananas, er I mean nuts.... Sorry..... Er.........

Mangoes.

A few rotten apples. Spoiling it for everyone, the bastards!

Banjo String · 20-05-2014 07:06PM

Muise... wrote: »

A few rotten apples. Spoiling it for everyone, the bastards!

Ah you pipped me to it.

ToddyDoody · 20-05-2014 07:08PM

Empathy can well be a P.R. stunt a lot of the time.

Boombastic · 20-05-2014 07:10PM

I think people are expected to feel sorry for idiots a lot of the time

It's not lacking empathy to point out it's their own fault

Muise... · 20-05-2014 07:27PM

Banjo String wrote: »

Ah you pipped me to it.

don't be getting sour grapes now.

pharmaton · 20-05-2014 07:28PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

I mean people lack empathy - they can't seem to identify or put themselves in the position of another person and think about how it would feel if it happened to them.

do you think maybe it wears off after a certain age? I remember being a very caring compassionate type when I was younger but I don't really have the energy to have feels for other people these days really. People often talk about it like its some kind of illness but in the greater scale of things it's probably more likely to just be part and parcel of life.

Banjo String · 20-05-2014 07:44PM

Muise... wrote: »

don't be getting sour grapes now.

I want to squeeze your melons.

Muise... · 20-05-2014 07:50PM

Banjo String wrote: »

I want to squeeze your melons.

You know you talk so sweet, you're twisting my melons man. :pac:

dodderangler · 20-05-2014 07:52PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Yeah that's fine, better than the shame of getting no replies.

Well I certainly won't be replying now

mad muffin · 20-05-2014 07:52PM

There is no empathy through the lens.

Pwindedd · 20-05-2014 08:32PM

I find I can only empathise with people that are really close to me. I don't have enough in me to be getting all empathetic with every sob story I hear. It's not that I don't care it's just that I can't bring myself to get emotional about it. I will give you a ride if your car got robbed, or give you a tenner if your purse got stolen, make tea when your granny died. I'm a fixer not a feeler.

I also though don't expect people to empathise with me. I can't bear the sad face, furrowed brow reaction. Put the kettle on by all means, but don't hug me and make soothing noises.

Is empathy a dying emotion ? Probably - but I think that's changes in lifestyle. We don't all live in close knit communities anymore and social media means we have bad news overload - maybe we've become hardened to tragedy.

Lou.m · 20-05-2014 08:45PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Is it just me or are lots of people totally devoid of empathy these days?

Something awful happens to someone and instead of just saying 'poor them' or 'that's awful' people find ways to blame the victim and say they brought it on themselves.

Anyone else find this?

I find the opposite. I find people are very sweet and sympathetic. I am always finding and meeting nice people. People are very sweet to me.

And I am always witnessing good turns.

pajor · 20-05-2014 08:47PM

Don't you know empathy is sign of weakness and even being "liberal!" :eek:

Not giving a sh*t about anyone or anything else is the cool thing now.

Vito Corleone · 20-05-2014 08:56PM

Empathy is faked 80% of the time, at least that's how I see it.

Shakespeare's Sister · 20-05-2014 09:00PM

beks101 wrote: »

I think it's just an AH thing. 'Look how edgy I am not giving a sh1t about this big tragedy that everyone is talking about' etc

And the following would be a variable of the above...

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Empathy is faked 80% of the time, at least that's how I see it.

How do you have the percentage, and how can you see something in such a way without actually knowing?

Vito Corleone · 20-05-2014 09:05PM

Magaggie wrote: »

How do you have the percentage, and how can you see something in such a way without actually knowing?

That's just the way I see it. Obviously no way to prove it, but then again there's no way to prove anybody's opinion on this subject.

SterlingArcher · 20-05-2014 09:11PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Is it just me or are lots of people totally devoid of empathy these days?

Something awful happens to someone and instead of just saying 'poor them' or 'that's awful' people find ways to blame the victim and say they brought it on themselves.

Anyone else find this?

I would say there is a lot less community spirit. A lot less.. a lot more self centered ,.self serving , self entitlement.

The lack of empathy is only equaled in measure by the fake ass empty emotions, that flow forth from the "grief tourists" that mope about every disaster. rallying all the other urchins on social media sites.let's sit around our I phones pretending to give a rats.

Shakespeare's Sister · 20-05-2014 09:16PM

Vito Corleone wrote: »

That's just the way I see it. Obviously know way to prove it, but then again there's no way to prove anybody's opinion on this subject.

Weird and illogical!

But I do agree much of the social media grief-mongering seems insincere and sanctimonious.
Outside of social media settings though, between individuals, I cannot fathom how someone could decide "That's 80% fake".

If people lack empathy themselves, they shouldn't assume most other people are like them.

Stheno · 20-05-2014 09:22PM

Olive8585 wrote: »

Yeah that's fine, better than the shame of getting no replies.

I'm amazed no one has said they couldn't imagine how you'd feel

Lack of empathy

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