this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2023
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If people are only able to respond in a socially appropriate manner as a result of literally feeling others' feelings, doesn't that mean they still only care about others to the extent that it affects them? Wouldn't such a response still be rooted in self-centeredness?
Wouldn't actual selflessness mean accommodating someone else's emotional state specifically when you don't/can't identify with them? (Maybe more like sympathy than empathy?)
Sure, but the net effect is still the same. Giving everyone true empathy wouldn't eliminate psychopaths and sadists entirely, I'm sure. But for the average person, that barrier to spite and cruelty would be enough.