Well I know I have stories to confirm my own theories on empathy/sympathy and its connection to liberals/conservatives. I often see families is dire situations: extreme poverty, a child with severe disabilities, a chaotic family life. Like you Peter T., I feel so for the families. I couldn't imagine how a mom with a migraine but no access to a doctor and certainly not to the amazing meds I was able to get could make it through an attack, or how the grandmother who was getting near sighted or far sighted due to her age, just as I was, was able to function without being able to get glasses. I'd get in the shower and try to read the shampoo bottle and just wish I had the money to get that grandma glasses so she can see again. Not to mention that every family I see has a child that is from birth to 3 years of age with some sort of disability. If I had a penny for every time a mom said "I wish he'd just say 'mama'", I'd be retired. Others, that aren't empathetic, take all of these things for granted and thing "Oh those poor people" but don't stop to put themselves in their shoes. That means that when conservatives want to cut SNAP benefits they don't think about what that means for an individual child or what a mom/dad has to experience trying to get their child enough to eat. They often just put themselves in the lives of the others and think well I don't know why they can't feed their own kids, or keep their kid from screaming in the Walmart because I can. They are not actually trying to walk in someone else's shoes if that makes sense. My theory is that people who can be empathetic and put themselves in others actual shoes, in their lives, are more likely to be liberal, whereas those who might say, "man, that's a shame" but that's about it are more likely to be conservative. So on the separation of children from their parents at the border issue, I could actually see and feel my own children being taken away from me and that's how I responded to that crisis. Others who were fine with the whole separation thing, just thought of yeah, that's sad, but they shouldn't have come here. No empathy. They were also conservatives. I don't know maybe that's too simplistic. But that's what I've been thinking.
Re: Andi
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Well I know I have stories to confirm my own theories on empathy/sympathy and its connection to liberals/conservatives. I often see families is dire situations: extreme poverty, a child with severe disabilities, a chaotic family life. Like you Peter T., I feel so for the families. I couldn't imagine how a mom with a migraine but no access to a doctor and certainly not to the amazing meds I was able to get could make it through an attack, or how the grandmother who was getting near sighted or far sighted due to her age, just as I was, was able to function without being able to get glasses. I'd get in the shower and try to read the shampoo bottle and just wish I had the money to get that grandma glasses so she can see again. Not to mention that every family I see has a child that is from birth to 3 years of age with some sort of disability. If I had a penny for every time a mom said "I wish he'd just say 'mama'", I'd be retired. Others, that aren't empathetic, take all of these things for granted and thing "Oh those poor people" but don't stop to put themselves in their shoes. That means that when conservatives want to cut SNAP benefits they don't think about what that means for an individual child or what a mom/dad has to experience trying to get their child enough to eat. They often just put themselves in the lives of the others and think well I don't know why they can't feed their own kids, or keep their kid from screaming in the Walmart because I can. They are not actually trying to walk in someone else's shoes if that makes sense. My theory is that people who can be empathetic and put themselves in others actual shoes, in their lives, are more likely to be liberal, whereas those who might say, "man, that's a shame" but that's about it are more likely to be conservative. So on the separation of children from their parents at the border issue, I could actually see and feel my own children being taken away from me and that's how I responded to that crisis. Others who were fine with the whole separation thing, just thought of yeah, that's sad, but they shouldn't have come here. No empathy. They were also conservatives. I don't know maybe that's too simplistic. But that's what I've been thinking.
