Topic: When Vision and Empathy collide (Read 2106 times)
Billroh@churchofvirus.com
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When Vision and Empathy collide
« on: 2002-04-02 19:14:02 »
Have you ever found yourself in an unenviable position where your vision of the future means that people will suffer as a result of your choice?
Do not rush to say "no" for this collision encompasses a great deal. Our thirst for competition often leads to a situation where vision and empathy may not seem compatible. Our efforts of forced social cooperation often lead to poor production and unachievable social goals that our vision once saw as probable.
Capitalism for instance often puts people in the position of choosing between the environment and convenience or even lives and profit. War often causes people to make short term decisions for or against action that later affect, for better or worse, the quality of life for millions of people.
Balance, as in so many of life's other endevours, is vital to the most effective use of our virtues. Let history be a teacher, but only one of them. Let boldness be a teacher as well, but still only one of them. History is not made by the historians, but by those with a vision of the future.
Let your vision describe your possibilities. Let your heart, your empathy, set the goals. Use the tool of reason to guide you to your goals, refine your vision and contain your empathy.
As soon as I accomplish this, I'll let everyone know.
The bald truth is that we are omnivores. Whatever we consume must die before or after the act, with perhaps the exception of some microorganisms.
Our desire to promote the commonwealth of other humans in society, and our penchant to attempt ridding society of humans that we perceive as threats is an extension of our genetic drive toward propogation of the species. This meets with the swiftest and most violent responses when it is our own offspring that are threatened, and firstly after that when those who make up our "family" are threatened.
War is a competition for resources, or a preliminary strike against threat. When it really comes down to it, the conflict between empathy and vision is only theoretical. If a circumstance occurs where the conflict becomes real, our genetically programmed response will immediately override any philosophical obstacles and usually result in a flee or fight reaction.
As the earth continues to feel the pressure mount from overpopulation, the competition for resources will escalate and war will become more and more frequent. This will be magnified if an ice age comes as some are predicting.
Please do not misinterpret my response. I have spent many hours thinking of ways that I could "better serve" society in general. I have quite a wide streak of empathy when the situation does not apply to me. I am also a pragmatist who, when threats or treats are present, will bull forward for what is best for myself or my kids.
Re:When Vision and Empathy collide
« Reply #2 on: 2002-08-16 17:48:29 »
I have to agree. But doesn't it then come down to hipocracy? People preach peace and cooperation, but how many people can actually match their words with their actions? I know that I am against violence and war, but I've never been put in a situation where those values were strained. It's the whole "punch the pacifist to see if he hits back" routine.
I feel that when these two virtues collide, one must simply stretch out the other. When saddled with the difficult choice between others and the future, should one not think beyond the ramifications of the present situation? What I mean is that the person stuck with this choice should look forward to the results of both of these possible decisions and decide which is preferable.
Re:When Vision and Empathy collide
« Reply #4 on: 2005-01-26 22:36:34 »
Well, perhaps that is where Reason comes in.
My difficulty is with students. I have a vision of them in their future lives, after my math class. I have empathy with them in that they would suffer less if I would adhere to the school system we are in.
Around September, everything 'clicked' with me on understanding, language and everything else. I couldn't speak human. I chose to follow the Vision, and the long-term empathy - that it was better for their future - outweighed the short-term empathy.
Of course, I am not in a position where I am killing these students for the long-term benefit of society.
As a jew, I feel that it is probably okay for me to use a holocaust metaphor - I'm sure Hitler and kin believed that they were doing society a favor in the long run to kill certain humans in the short run.
So reason comes in. I think that what the metavirus - church of the virus and level 3 and all the other metacogs - is going to parse down to is:
Re:When Vision and Empathy collide
« Reply #5 on: 2005-01-30 20:03:39 »
Well, I am cautious when i think, "fight for resources" .Whether we want to believe that we are achieving anything through war you have to understand that you are missing empathy of course, fighting for resources is looking for what you need to survive to propagate the species, you never move the species along in the evolutionary scale if you eliminate them. Napoleon said that there is a problem in a system that their actions contradict their words and I believe that is true. So what is the purpose then to say "peace" and promote war as a means. Have the ends truly justified the means? have we truly undestood the ends that have been tried to achieve?
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