TUESDAY // 09.29.2020
Many individuals strive to be empathic to others, it's a way to get closer to the people around them; but Paul Bloom, a psychology professor at Yale says it's "a poor guide for moral reasoning." This sounds a bit harsh, but through clinical studies Bloom came to the conclusion that "we should strive to use our heads rather than our hearts” when making decisions.
When asked what empathy meant Bloom explained how there are multiple views on empathy, he said
"I think that understanding people is important, but it’s not necessarily a force for good. It can be a force for evil as well."
Bloom goes on to explain how when being empathetic you pick up the emotions of someone expressing their emotions onto you, this creates your emotions to follow and can alter your judgement. Rather than letting your emotions get involved, he believes we should give their emotions the value they deserve, letting it have your attention. Both empathy and compassion have different consequences, say your'e being compassionate and get too worn down thinking of the outcomes, but if you're more compassionate you'll be more eager to help. The way he explained this distinction is really fascinating as I haven't came to this inclination myself. As I turn inward to myself and think about how I interact in situations of a friend in need, I think this is actually a great approach at life and may actually help me and other individuals who are so emotionally driven. His focus on the subconscious level of giving less empathy to people who aren't close to your or like you, is something we don't want to admit but can't help but understanding is accurate.
Giving real world examples of the negative usage of empathy is our criminal justice system, specifically victim statements, and victimizing political statements. These are broad examples, but thinking about empathy on a personal level for our loved ones Bloom admitted “empathy is biased, it plays favorites.” I like how he thinks of empathy as an instrument, not a virtue and be using it correctly when you see fit could be a very useful tactic to use navigating life.
