There are growing calls lately for people to be more compassionate, understanding and empathetic, among other things — and it’s easy to understand why; humanity is only just beginning to emerge from our relatively cold, brutal, fractured roots.
But are these calls genuine, and are they supported by concepts, notions and positions that stand the realistic chance of actually producing that which is being called for?
Or, to take a more pessimistic approach, what are the chances that these calls have been hijacked by malicious individuals and ideological causes in order to claim moral superiority and to demonise and dehumanise anyone who dissents from the acceptable views?
The reason I feel the need to ask these questions is because I’ve observed a common tendency of people to behave in ways that are contrary to what it is they claim to want, especially when it comes to matters of society and the world at-large…
Compassionate people imposing their perspectives on others and enforcing them with violence. People of understanding acting out in rage and ignorance when disagreed with. Empathetic human beings celebrating true carelessness towards some who lose their livelihoods, or even their lives, because they don’t like the person or because they don’t belong to the same in-group or…
