Comments on: You are, therefore I am http://outrospection.org/2009/11/21/187 roman krznaric's empathy blog Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:59:53 +0000 hourly 1 By: john lawlor http://outrospection.org/2009/11/21/187/comment-page-1#comment-205 john lawlor Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:42:30 +0000 http://outrospection.org/?p=187#comment-205 Usless we can confront all the fears on this plain and all it has to teach/offer we wont even be able to begin resolving, which starts with compassion, close one door on one its closed to all. unless we have an addiction to punishing ourselves. Usless we can confront all the fears on this plain and all it has to teach/offer we wont even be able to begin resolving, which starts with compassion, close one door on one its closed to all. unless we have an addiction to punishing ourselves.

]]> By: Kate Bacon http://outrospection.org/2009/11/21/187/comment-page-1#comment-133 Kate Bacon Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:04:06 +0000 http://outrospection.org/?p=187#comment-133 Interesting post, thank you Roman. We can have empathy for all living beings if we understand that we are all suffering and all have the potential to act as the Thai sea pirate did...not because we are inherently bad, but because we all suffer from what Buddha called delusions. I'm not sure we can ever really understand completely another's perspective of life (ultimately we are all alone since every living being has a different view and experience of life), however compassion can only come from letting go of our obsession with self and understanding we are one tiny part of an interconnected universe. Interesting post, thank you Roman. We can have empathy for all living beings if we understand that we are all suffering and all have the potential to act as the Thai sea pirate did…not because we are inherently bad, but because we all suffer from what Buddha called delusions.

I’m not sure we can ever really understand completely another’s perspective of life (ultimately we are all alone since every living being has a different view and experience of life), however compassion can only come from letting go of our obsession with self and understanding we are one tiny part of an interconnected universe.

]]> By: Edith Brands http://outrospection.org/2009/11/21/187/comment-page-1#comment-22 Edith Brands Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:58 +0000 http://outrospection.org/?p=187#comment-22 Asking too much? Yes he is! But to me it's not primarily a question of him asking too much, he is overplaying his hand here. Unless this is to be considered purely as a case of poetic freedom, he is giving proof of having developed an - imo - rather spaced out concept of 'being'. However far poetic freedom may extend, empathizing with and having compassion for is not identical with 'being' someone. And it is not necessary to uproot reason in order to be able to have compassion and to be empathic. Murderers, torturers and rapists should repent and ask for forgiveness to save their souls. Without that, to have compassion with them is for Christ or up to their victims, not up to us. We then would be trespassing upon the reality of the life of the victim. We can forgive them maybe, that's for our personal sake, but for the good of all they have to be brought to justice. And it is their victims first and foremost who need our compassion. One has to make choices in life and only in deeds our compassion comes into effect. Compassion without action deteriorizes all too often into moral masturbation. And the limits to take our empathetic imaginations to are well set by self-preservation. Asking too much? Yes he is!
But to me it’s not primarily a question of him asking too much, he is overplaying his hand here.

Unless this is to be considered purely as a case of poetic freedom, he is giving proof of having developed an – imo – rather spaced out concept of ‘being’.

However far poetic freedom may extend, empathizing with and having compassion for is not identical with ‘being’ someone.
And it is not necessary to uproot reason in order to be able to have compassion and to be empathic.

Murderers, torturers and rapists should repent and ask for forgiveness to save their souls.
Without that, to have compassion with them is for Christ or up to their victims, not up to us. We then would be trespassing upon the reality of the life of the victim.

We can forgive them maybe, that’s for our personal sake, but for the good of all they have to be brought to justice.
And it is their victims first and foremost who need our compassion.
One has to make choices in life and only in deeds our compassion comes into effect.

Compassion without action deteriorizes all too often into moral masturbation.
And the limits to take our empathetic imaginations to are well set by self-preservation.

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