is there any way to increase your empathy? only recently have i been really concerned about this, as i had lost my empathy many moons ago and thereafter felt indifferent to suffering. but i've become disaffected with this lifestyle, seeking to improve my interpersonal relationships with people and to use effective altruism as a motivator for making meaningful contributions in the world. but i can't attach myself to harm-reductive causes, from whatever radical strand of change they occupy in our culture.
watching gore in my youth had stymied my empathy, and certain circumstances in my life where i had been the subject of cruelty only made things worse. it's not about being a good person, as my motivations could be considered selfish by some, even if they produce a net good. i just don't know how to demonstrate basic empathy, aside from being cognizant of alleged pain. as someone who was once an empathic child, is it too soon to declare it as lost forever?
watching gore in my youth had stymied my empathy, and certain circumstances in my life where i had been the subject of cruelty only made things worse. it's not about being a good person, as my motivations could be considered selfish by some, even if they produce a net good. i just don't know how to demonstrate basic empathy, aside from being cognizant of alleged pain. as someone who was once an empathic child, is it too soon to declare it as lost forever?
