Sometimes our concern for other people comes dependent on our perception of whether someone deserves it. This is because it’s easier to relate and feel for people more like us. Though Syrian parents also lost even more children in acts of horrendous violence during the war, there was not nearly the same support from the world as there was with the Sandy Hook victims.

Sadly, we tend to show even less concern for people in different nations than our own. However, there have been many awful mass shootings since, though none have received the same level of support or outrage. It got to the point where the state had to actually ask for people to stop giving because it became too much. So many people expressed outrage and poured out love and support.

Especially those who have children or have had children. When the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary took place, it deeply affected many people. The problem is, we can’t put ourselves into the shoes of everyone, making it biased. Putting ourselves in the shoes of someone else doesn’t seem all that bad. If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.ĭownload PDF Lesson 1: Our empathy is selective and biased, and we don’t realize it. Rational compassion will help you make better decisions than empathy.Īre you ready to start helping the world with your head rather than your heart? Let’s learn!.Empathy can cloud our judgment and lead us to make poor choices.You don’t realize it, but your empathy comes with a personal bias.Here are 3 intriguing lessons I’ve taken away from this book: Though he’s not calling for an abolishment of feeling for others, he wants to help people realize that their empathy is getting in the way of making the best decisions. The book focuses on research and provides a persuasive argument against empathy in today’s world. It can be biased, prejudiced, innumerate, overly emotional, and sometimes selfish. In Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, author and Yale psychologist Paul Bloom shows us that empathy isn’t perfect. Because empathy is based on emotion, not logic, it doesn’t always judge fairly. Though stepping into another’s shoes doesn’t seem all that bad, it does come with limitations. It is not to be confused with sympathy, which is feeling for someone, rather than feeling with them. If you step back and really think about empathy, you might be surprised about what it drives people to do.Įmpathy is an emotional response that allows us as humans to ‘feel’ what other people are going through.

How can anyone be against empathy? Isn’t that like being against something inherently good and innocent like puppies or babies? Not exactly. If you’re like me and read the title of this book, Against Empathy, you were immediately curious. Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account*:

Bloom empathy