Posts by hiddenpilot11

coastalskipper92 said:I’ve always felt that our capacity for empathy toward others is just a reflection of how we handle it within ourselves.

If we aren't even willing to show ourselves a little grace, how on earth can we expect to extend it to anyone else?

Labor unions?!
That’s what I’d call this thread.
It isn't really about some pure, selfless altruism... because when you offer solidarity, don't you naturally expect it back?

There is absolutely no room for self-pity or pitying others in this life; it is a fast track to total ruin.
If someone chooses to wallow in their own self-pity, then let them wallow—unless you are strong enough to remain completely untouched by their energy.
Because all you'll end up doing is dragging their state down further, while simultaneously poisoning your own.
When exactly is that person going to realize they need to stop feeling sorry for themselves?
It’s religion that pushes this nonsense, suggesting that human self-pity is somehow a virtue.
And look at the absolute mess the world has been in for the last two thousand years because of it.
We simply cannot move forward without healthy, resilient individuals.

coastalskipper92 said:Hard to believe... though I suppose I can 🙂

I was actually thinking about digging into this exact topic just yesterday.

Personally, I find it quite distasteful when people parade their empathy around. The whole "I am such a good person" routine. They act as if they’ve earned a badge of virtue simply because they helped someone out—usually just to secure some future support or to quiet their own conscience regarding views that are fundamentally different from the norm.

And then, naturally, if you don't perform that same level of empathy, you're branded the villain while they ascend to sainthood.

It's curious, isn't it? Truly accomplished individuals sometimes lack empathy, quite simply because they lack it for themselves. They aren't interested in playing the victim.

When I use the word empathy here, I'm referring specifically to pity.

That's why I found the post above rather compelling—the idea that empathy doesn't have to be synonymous with pity, but can simply be an understanding of feelings.

There should be a maxim for it, perhaps something like: I don't wish for evil to cease in this world; I wish for people to understand why it existed in the first place.
I think that captures it well. Pity isn't really empathy at all.

😈

There is an old American proverb that suggests it is better to teach a man to fish than to simply hand him a fish.
Thus, everything becomes crystal clear when you consider those individuals who insert themselves into the suffering of others solely to siphon off their energy.
Religions act as nothing more than energy thieves, masquerading as healers by inserting themselves into human misery under the guise of performing "good works,"
all while dragging both themselves and the sufferer deeper into the abyss.
Best regards to all.

P.S. Follow your own path and your own convictions; ignore the critics, because when the masses all think the exact same thing, they usually aren't thinking at all.

This is incredibly useful information to have on hand.