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It seems to me, the biggest divide in our country right now isn't the racial or political divides, but rather the divide between those Americans who have some ability to see things from other peoples perspectives and those who are either unwilling or unable to. Some people seem to approach the world with absolute certainty that they are right and their opponeints are wrong and driven by negative intentions. Others believe the world is messy and no one person has a monopoly on wisdom or virture. Does anyone else agree?
In fact, the only part I disagree with is that it is almost always an unwillingness, rarely an inability to walk in another person's shoes.
When you think back you can recall that we used to talk about Americans evolving into the "me generation". Well, when all you think about is "me", why even try to interact with people who are different than "me"?
In fact, the only part I disagree with is that it is almost always an unwillingness, rarely an inability to walk in another person's shoes.
Yeah, I do struggle with why that seems like such a foreign concept to so many people. I get there are certain deeply held basic moral principals that do sometime make it hard to compromise or see the other side. But, I don't get why so many seemingly sensible, good natured people are attracted to uncompromising absolutist stands.
I agree, people get set in their views, and refuse to see it any other way. No consideration for what someone else may have gone through, just a my way or youre wrong type of attitude.
Yeah, I do struggle with why that seems like such a foreign concept to so many people. I get there are certain deeply held basic moral principals that do sometime make it hard to compromise or see the other side. But, I don't get why so many seemingly sensible, good natured people are attracted to uncompromising absolutist stands.
One of the best comments I heard about this whole this situation came from former president George Bush today: "Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions." I would only depart in that with the word intentions, because as we have clearly seen here on City-Data, it would be more accurate to say: "Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our self-image, which is often excessively fictional."
Empathy. That is exactly the word. A colleague, a teacher in middle school, is quitting this year. She told me she couldn't take it anymore, that the students had absolutely no empathy for anyone. She's done. Sad. She is an amazing teacher and I will dearly miss her.
Sadly it seems that human empathy has always had a positive correlation to the distance an empathizer is from the actual situation. In short, the greater the distance, the greater the empathy.
It seems to me, the biggest divide in our country right now isn't the racial or political divides, but rather the divide between those Americans who have some ability to see things from other peoples perspectives and those who are either unwilling or unable to. Some people seem to approach the world with absolute certainty that they are right and their opponeints are wrong and driven by negative intentions. Others believe the world is messy and no one person has a monopoly on wisdom or virture. Does anyone else agree?
I agree with your statement.
From experience, when you start questioning the absolutes in some people's thinking, they often react fiercely and become more entrenched then ever. It is amazing to me how loud some can be, it often comes as a substitute of at least attempting to see it from the other perspective (trying to put yourself in another person's shoes)
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