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Add to My Group(s)
Add to My Group(s)
By Freddie Venezia (about the author)
Become a Fan (1 fan) -- Page 3 of 3 page(s)
I know some people may quibble with my usage of the word Empathy and many might say "Compassion" might be a better choice for the title of this essay. Ok! I admit compassion or empathy probably are interchangeable to some extent, but my goal was to show good usage versus bad usage of empathy or compassion. We must have both compassion and empathy for victims, but we must not allow the compassion and/or empathy to block out truth seeking. Nor must we allow the usually admirable traits of compassion and empathy to convict, sentence or just hate others who seem not to be worthy of compassion and empathy just because they seem to be different.
Does anyone remember the "Twilight Zone" episode when an middle aged frail women living in an old rural shack is encroached upon by small creatures from a space ship which landed on her shack? We felt Empathy for that women and screamed with delight as she swatted the spacesuit clad creatures with her broom, while simultaneously feeling her pain Empathetically as they shot her with their ray-guns. At the end we discover, that the frail woman is probably about 40 feet tall and the space ship is a flying saucer with US Air Force markings as we hear the voice from a dying astronaut speaking in English call Earth to warn Houston to stay away from this planet of hostile giants.
We must not allow the usually admirable traits of compassion and Empathy to judge or hate others who seem not to be worthy of compassion and Empathy just because they seem to be different. They may actually be just like us or they may be us.
Become a Fan (1 fan) -- Page 3 of 3 page(s)
Does anyone remember the "Twilight Zone" episode when an middle aged frail women living in an old rural shack is encroached upon by small creatures from a space ship which landed on her shack? We felt Empathy for that women and screamed with delight as she swatted the spacesuit clad creatures with her broom, while simultaneously feeling her pain Empathetically as they shot her with their ray-guns. At the end we discover, that the frail woman is probably about 40 feet tall and the space ship is a flying saucer with US Air Force markings as we hear the voice from a dying astronaut speaking in English call Earth to warn Houston to stay away from this planet of hostile giants.
We must not allow the usually admirable traits of compassion and Empathy to judge or hate others who seem not to be worthy of compassion and Empathy just because they seem to be different. They may actually be just like us or they may be us.
I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1945, worked as aircraft mechanic for 35 years and moved to Florida from Brooklyn in 2003. My wife and I will celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary this year. Our only son is 41, married and has one daughter, plus his (more...)
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