Empathy not Sympathy

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

Hopefully, without the thread turning into a slagging fest / personal attack fight, these questions could be answered. If you are willing to do so. Thanks.

• Do you think this UK Tory government is empathetic towards citizens?

and

• What do you think is the disadvantage of having (too much) empathy?

 

[funandflirty]

Hopefully, without the thread turning into a slagging fest / personal attack fight, these questions could be answered. If you are willing to do so. Thanks.

• Do you think this UK Tory government is empathetic towards citizens?

and

• What do you think is the disadvantage of having (too much) empathy?

Great question!

I will apologise as I don’t directly answer.

I think it is a flaw in most modern governments (globally) that they sit from a position of privilege and are unable to share the feelings/struggles of the common people. They may well be able to sympathise but to actually be able to say I’ve been there, I know how that feels - very few can. In my experience those that have come up through the ranks and 1. Are not corrupt, and 2. Have stayed true to their beliefs etc rarely stay with a government setting.

having too much empathy can be toxic to the individual causing them to burnout, and ultimately be ineffective in bringing about change or action.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

To be empathetic about something, you must have experienced it YOURSELF. that's the difference from being sympathetic. So to the question - can the Tories be empathetic to citizens? well it really depends on the citizens. It would be very difficult for Tory MP's to empathise with the homeless, jobless and people in want etc, simply because they haven't experienced that for themselves. They would be able to empathise with citizens who want to get on in life, get better jobs, own their home etc

and secondly, what is the disadvantage of having too much empathy? Well, for a start, I'm not very empathetic (or sympathetic). For example, I have no interest in the deaths of strangers whatsoever, what are they to me? So I can't really answer the second question, except to postulate that if you believe in anything TOO much, it can blind you to alternatives.

 

[Snow]

Both comments spot on. Ty.
Empathy and sympathy some times work hand in hand.
In my profession helping hand empathy is always first or a common ground in making some one have a better way of life, extending and reaching out for those resources to strengthen a individual or a family unit. Sympathy the reason why they got to issues involved now in their life. Hardships that took them so low that u say to oneself "wow if that had been me!" So for me, if it be some one I know well or not, certain circumstances that catch my attention can not help having sympathy for strangers if reading, seeing or hearing about it. Death of innocent victims for foolish reasons. Parents burying children before them unnecessarily due to nutters.
Government, whole different story. Care when going in..what makes people change or forgot reason when get there, who knows.

 

[Moriarty]

Hopefully, without the thread turning into a slagging fest / personal attack fight, these questions could be answered. If you are willing to do so. Thanks.

• Do you think this UK Tory government is empathetic towards citizens?

and

• What do you think is the disadvantage of having (too much) empathy?

Those are very complex questions to answer.
Dissect the first, "Do the Tory party have empathy for the citizens".

Should we not re-frame that to government in general.
What are Conservative values these days, well nothing like the old Conservative party for sure, they are much more Liberal in many ways.
However, they are still more inclined to be Corporatists which never ends well, look at Italy in the 1930's.

The Labour Party is supposed to be the "Opposition", haven't seen them oppose much lately, now they are saying in internal documents they need to be seen with the UK Flag more to show they care about our home.

For the Labour Party to do that they must realise that your "Average Joe" actually doesn't want the institution of the UK to be disassembled.

However the "New Labour" movement is based on Identity Politics fundamentally so they are preaching only to Middle Class White Guilt voters.
Class, Race or Gender identity politics will always end badly, look to Germany in the 1930's and the USSR in the 1917+ periods for examples.

"The disadvantage of to much Empathy", again very difficult.

If you take a singular relationship between two people, we have a tolerance for conflict, but we also have a need for it.
Relationship where those involved who fight to often or not enough always end, there has to be a "Push" to make people change.
Change is compromise, without compromise a relationship cannot last.
That is the singular point of a Democratic governance, conflict on behalf of constituents.

Hence to much empathy is counter productive to social cohesion because people have different views which need to be aired.
If you silence one side due to perceived "Empathy" by the other, you alienate them and the relationship breaks down.