What ever happened to empathy?

[FlyingMintBunny]

Seriously, I wonder this everyday. People go around putting others down and never once think, how do they feel? I've noticed this is worse then it was in our parent's days. I don't recall suicide rates being so high then. I mean, I hide most of what I am from my own family... because they WILL NOT accept who I am.

People are so rude to people because they are different. You know what, pity me cause I'm different, I'll pity you because you're all the same. That's what I say. To be honest, you don't even have to have empathy, have tolerance.

I've read TRUE stories about people getting beat up because they were homosexual. I'm scared to death to be lesbian. I'm lesbian and I want to be proud but if I am... who's going to beat me up? People in the past have been beat up for the color of the skin, something they CAN'T change! Why can't some people seem to swallow their pride and try to understand?

So what ever happened to empathy?

[FlyingSnow]

Alas, you and I are in the same boat my friend. I do have empathy...a large amount of it stressed But it can be a good thing...though I too must keep tons of secrets from my family...including my sexual orientation.

[Arigoli]

I have oddles of empathy for you.

[Aekean Fairy]

Empathy is a waste of emotion.

& that whole "you laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all th esame"

was manufactured on a t-shirt sold by hot topic

which just blows my mind, tbh

[Ockhams Razor]

Empathy is not the same as tolerating somebody's sexual preference.
I can tolerate people, but that doesn't mean I have to feel happy or sad for them.

Empathy is feeling upset that your best friend's mother died.

Learn the difference.

[/thread]

[Vindico]

I feel that the lack of empathy comes from a lack of knowledge. People these days seem much more likely to just ignore what they don't like rather than learn about it and try to understand it. You fear what you don't understand, and people will lash out at things they fear rather than try and understand them.

Its much easier to fight something than it is to understand it.

[Lady skyphoenix]

Although doesn't it sometimes hurt to have empathy cause sometimes I wished I didn't care so much for other people. They end up hurting me in the end.

[St_Evisser]

I have zero empathy. But if you are homosexual, I just don't care one way or another. My definition of empathy is feeling for someone. I just don't care. It's different to be empathetic than to to be a, I don't know the term for it, sexual-ist. You know, hate of homos. I put people down for different things and don't think twice. Sexual preference is not something I care about. I prefer the good stuff, sex in the bathroom, those kind of things. That is what I use to make people's lives miserable.

[Vindico]

Lady skyphoenix

Although doesn't it sometimes hurt to have empathy cause sometimes I wished I didn't care so much for other people. They end up hurting me in the end.

Congratulations, you're human. In your life you'll hurt people, and people will hurt you. You just have to learn to be strong and get through it. If you were never hurt, how would you become stronger?

[Ancient Hours]

Just because not as many suicides were documented doesn't mean they weren't as much of an issue.

And if anything, I'd say that we today are more open towards other generations before us. We don't discriminate as much based on race, sexual orientation, gender, or religion, and people feel safer being open about it. It wasn't as common to be beaten because of homosexuality in earlier generations because a majority of people who were homosexual were too afraid to admit it. It was a disgrace to the family. And when an open homosexual was killed, people often looked the other way because (as they believed) they were going to Hell anyway.
Nowadays, there are certainly still those who carry great spite against people who are different (homosexuals in point). I'm not going to argue that in any way. Since more people are open towards it, homophobes have more to act out their anger on.

As a ratio, I don't think people are less empathetic nowadays. I think these past few generations have taken incredible strides to eliminate those uncomfortable spaces between those major defining factors (once again on race, sexual orientation, gender, and religion). It still exists, of course, but we're not as severely divided as we were once.

[Vindico]

Almighty Toilet Plungerre

Empathy is a waste of emotion.

& that whole "you laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all th esame"

was manufactured on a t-shirt sold by hot topic

which just blows my mind, tbh

"em·pa·thy
n.

1. Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives.
2. The attribution of one's own feelings to an object."

How is it a waste of emotion? If no one understood how others felt, how could anyone ever get along with anyone else? The world would be full of nothing but people who felt only for them selfs, and cared nothing for anyone else.

But I agree with the fact that Hot Topic is s**t.

[Aekean Fairy]

Tuxedo Avenger

"em·pa·thy
n.

1. Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. See Synonyms at pity.
2. The attribution of one's own feelings to an object."

How is it a waste of emotion? If no one understood how others felt, how could anyone ever get along with anyone else? The world would be full of nothing but people who felt only for them selfs, and cared nothing for anyone else.

But I agree with the fact that Hot Topic is s**t.

Well, sure, I'll empathize with someone I care about.

But if I don't know you, and you don't affect me, I really couldn't care less.

[Vindico]

Miss Amphetamine

Just because not as many suicides were documented doesn't mean they weren't as much of an issue.

And if anything, I'd say that we today are more open towards other generations before us. We don't discriminate as much based on race, sexual orientation, gender, or religion, and people feel safer being open about it. It wasn't as common to be beaten because of homosexuality in earlier generations because a majority of people who were homosexual were too afraid to admit it. It was a disgrace to the family. And when an open homosexual was killed, people often looked the other way because (as they believed) they were going to Hell anyway.
Nowadays, there are certainly still those who carry great spite against people who are different (homosexuals in point). I'm not going to argue that in any way. Since more people are open towards it, homophobes have more to act out their anger on.

As a ratio, I don't think people are less empathetic nowadays. I think these past few generations have taken incredible strides to eliminate those uncomfortable spaces between those major defining factors (once again on race, sexual orientation, gender, and religion). It still exists, of course, but we're not as severely divided as we were once.

From what I see in every day life, there IS a lot more tolerance. But a lot less empathy. Thats just what I see though.

[xxTriniteyxx]

The world needs alot more empathy before there will be peace! I hope we all learn tolerance and empathy.

[Doctor Cello]

xX Aoide Xx

Seriously, I wonder this everyday. People go around putting others down and never once think, how do they feel? I've noticed this is worse then it was in our parent's days. I don't recall suicide rates being so high then. I mean, I hide most of what I am from my own family... because they WILL NOT accept who I am.

People are so rude to people because they are different. You know what, pity me cause I'm different, I'll pity you because you're all the same. That's what I say. To be honest, you don't even have to have empathy, have tolerance.

I've read TRUE stories about people getting beat up because they were homosexual. I'm scared to death to be lesbian. I'm lesbian and I want to be proud but if I am... who's going to beat me up? People in the past have been beat up for the color of the skin, something they CAN'T change! Why can't some people seem to swallow their pride and try to understand?

So what ever happened to empathy?

So you're saying we're getting less open-minded?

Dearie, have you ever heard of the Holocaust?