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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (71137)	7/30/2003 6:54:51 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

No, but I don't think that's the point. When you empathize, you imagine yourself in that situation and feel for the creature. We have a different view of empathy, then. I can imagine myself rolling down a hill helplessly, but when I see a rock do it I don't empathize with the rock. I can imagine how awful it would be to have somebody take a huge steel blade and swipe it right through my ankles, but I don't empathize with the weeds I scythe down. I think true empathy can only be with other people or with creatures that we believe cna be holding the same basic emotional and intellectual responses to the event as we would. That's my view of empathy, anyhow.

To: Lane3 who wrote (71137)	7/30/2003 6:56:36 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

"When you empathize, you imagine yourself in that situation and feel for the creature. It doesn't matter whether the creature has the capacity to react as you would or not." Remember this one. “To have a positive regard for the well being of one’s self and others.” BTW...I had an evil squirrel last Spring who invaded my porch. I had to develop a near lethal pepper spray. I loaded it into a plastic spray bottle that I had previously used for ironing. No one got seriously injured and there was never a conclusive victory. We finally made peace when I quit feeding birds on my porch. CH is right. They are real cute...but not in the house, or porch...and the squirrels around here carry the bubonic plague...more accurately their fleas do.

To: Lane3 who wrote (71137)	7/31/2003 12:49:08 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

When you empathize, you imagine yourself in that situation and feel for the creature. It doesn't matter whether the creature has the capacity to react as you would or not. Empathy is an emotional reaction. Wouldn't it be more sympathy then empathy? You aren't really feeling what the spider feels. In this specific case you would be feeling a good deal more emotion then what the spider feels, in many cases involving humans it you would probably feel less, and in both cases whether it is more or less what you really feel is different. Tim ympathy \Sym"pathy\, n.; pl. Sympathies. [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ?; sy`n with + ? suffering, passion, fr. ?, ?, to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.] 1. Feeling corresponding to that which another feels; the quality of being affected by the affection of another, with feelings correspondent in kind, if not in degree; fellow-feeling. They saw, but other sight instead -- a crowd Of ugly serpents! Horror on them fell, And horrid sympathy. --Milton. 2. An agreement of affections or inclinations, or a conformity of natural temperament, which causes persons to be pleased, or in accord, with one another; as, there is perfect sympathy between them. 3. Kindness of feeling toward one who suffers; pity; commiseration; compassion.* empathy n : understanding and entering into another's feelings