The Problem With Empathy and Belgium

Navigating Belgium's Regions and "Us vs Them" Mentality

Photo by jurien huggins on Unsplash

If you read Running of With a Stranger, you know why I’m pulling up this article from the archives.

Running Off with a Stranger

Empathy, like stories, can be destructive.

Sure, empathy is great if you want to be an actor.

"The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy." – Meryl Streep.

"It's got to do with putting yourself in other people's shoes and seeing how far you can come to truly understand them. I like the empathy that comes from acting." – Christian Bale.

"I've always thought of acting as more of an exercise in empathy, which is not to be confused with sympathy. You're trying to get inside a certain emotional reality or motivational reality and try to figure out what that's about so you can represent it." – Edward Norton.

But, like with most things, don't listen to actors. Trust me, I used to be one... or at least attempted to be one. Spending your days trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes gives you the fabricated belief that you understand people from all walks of life.

What you really need to practice—and I believe this applies universally—is rational compassion.

So, what's the difference between empathy and compassion?

Paul Bloom, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto and Yale University, argues that empathy is subjective and biased, as it involves emotionally experiencing what others feel. In contrast, compassion maintains a more objective stance by recognizing the suffering of others without necessarily sharing their emotional state.

Consider this: When you have a breakdown about your failures, do you want your partner to cry with you, feel, and reflect on your lack of confidence? Or do you want your partner to stay strong and help you get back on track?

Imagine if we tried to solve the world's problems solely with empathy. Continuously being exposed to others' suffering would lead to burnout from constantly feeling everyone's pain. Compassion, with its more balanced and rational approach, can help maintain emotional well-being and mitigate the negative consequences of empathy.

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