Desensitisation17 Oct 2021 22:15
Harchris
Hi mate
The phenomenon of closer events feeling more immediate and painful is well known. It’s not really to do witb empathy at all . It’s the immediacy of closer places which ‘feel’ more real. As a teacher and psychotherapist -along with all the psychology qualifications-I have met many thousands of people. Empathy varies and some people lack but the “ average” person has a fair amount anywhere positive along the spectrum . It just depends on where it is directed/ connection/moodetc etc. Empathy is part of our make-up and almost every soul has it unless psychotic. The well-known “ compassion fatigue” of war or long term events or even the distance of Afghanistan …yes there is truth in that.
But unless we have a personality disorder ( e.g. a psychosis) then we all have the potential to empathise. Every single one of us. It’s just that some are more empathetic than others and..yes …many empathise closer to home but many many not.
I personally know a vast amount of people proxy-grieving for the Afghans or Norwegians or people anywhere in the world at any time. I am one who feels rage for the abandonment of Afghanistan.
Sure some people are cold-hearted and some spiteful or sadistic. Plenty on these boards!! Empathy varies. But by far the majority empathise . A few do not out of ignorance and not caring. Forgive me for being pedantic but it’s what I work with.
Empathy for others and for oneself .
So I know we ALL have it there if we connect with it -just some more than others!!
Covid fatigue. Compassion fatigue. Real things. But we all have a choice. We can empathise out of choice by just taking the time to think. All of us. I personally grieve for almost any sufferers-anywhere. The Afghan aid worker and 7 children killed in error US drone attack..offered compensation. I didn’t know about it until today. Horrific.
I’ll shut up now. I just wanted to correct the empathy bit. We all have empathy. But it is to differing degrees and ‘targets’. I had to write so much about it. It is vastly complex and only absent in the deeply damaged or deranged. I remember Vietnam/Bosnia/Cambodia etc. I have seen people do the most horrific things . Humanity is so damn complex.
But we are all unique individuals and can never ever be generalised.
Deffo shut up now
ATB