David, I'd find it very helpful if you (and other contributors) would provide us with definitions, or at least their own working definitions, of words such as "compassion," "empathy" and "sympathy." They're not, or once were not, synonyms. The distinctions, therefore, are worth noting. Otherwise, we're talking at cross purposes.
Paul, you're right, definitions would be helpful. As I said in my dialogue with Janice, I think empathy is the closest word to what I mean, and I am referring to the fellow-feeling one gets from identifying with the issues of the other (what compassion - common passion - used to mean but doesn't any longer). I contrast that with accountability, which is holding the other accountable for their behavior and attitudes. I see the combination of these two as representing the essence of a balanced, healthy relationship with the other. Moral polarization, on the other hand, splits empathy and accountability, as in feminism which has empathy without accountability for women and accountability without empathy for men. In other words, feminism "gets" all of the ways that women are powerless and none of the ways that they are powerful, and vice versa for men.
I counsel empathy and accountability for both men and women, which means that we "get" the ways that women and powerless AND the ways that they are powerful, and we "get" the ways that men are powerful AND the ways that they are powerless.
David, I'd find it very helpful if you (and other contributors) would provide us with definitions, or at least their own working definitions, of words such as "compassion," "empathy" and "sympathy." They're not, or once were not, synonyms. The distinctions, therefore, are worth noting. Otherwise, we're talking at cross purposes.
Paul, you're right, definitions would be helpful. As I said in my dialogue with Janice, I think empathy is the closest word to what I mean, and I am referring to the fellow-feeling one gets from identifying with the issues of the other (what compassion - common passion - used to mean but doesn't any longer). I contrast that with accountability, which is holding the other accountable for their behavior and attitudes. I see the combination of these two as representing the essence of a balanced, healthy relationship with the other. Moral polarization, on the other hand, splits empathy and accountability, as in feminism which has empathy without accountability for women and accountability without empathy for men. In other words, feminism "gets" all of the ways that women are powerless and none of the ways that they are powerful, and vice versa for men.
I counsel empathy and accountability for both men and women, which means that we "get" the ways that women and powerless AND the ways that they are powerful, and we "get" the ways that men are powerful AND the ways that they are powerless.