Empathy is the ability to feel (or imagine that you feel) what others feel. It's the ability to put oneself in another person's shoes. Humans use it all the time, as it's important for a social culture.
However, while people are easily empathetic about "normal" people and people with whose abnormalities they are unaware of, or of people with "acceptable" abnormalities, people often have trouble understanding the perspective of those they discriminate against. They don't stop to consider what life would be like if they were constantly discriminated against.
The problem with this is that where empathy is most needed it is rarely used, and where it's only a passing thought it's often used.
Another related problem which would be very difficult to address is the subject of children and how they treat anyone they decide to pick on. It's quite hard to prevent them from doing it most likely because they lack empathy. Assume that I'm not talking about this subject for the rest of this - young children can pick on you for anything.
There are quite a few groups of people who, because of the way they are or the things they do, are discriminated against or mocked for being that way. Examples include transvestites, homosexuals, transexuals, and to a lesser extent, Jews (search me for a reason, but it's true), and to a lesser extent, people who are not Caucasian. There are other examples which I am either not aware of or do not remember at the moment. Again I'd like to remind any of my (now two) readers that this blog is using the United States as the frame or reference.
I'd like to pause for a moment point out for a moment that Caucasian skin (in general) is more yellow than east Asian skin.
Some/One of you may be asking yourselves/self "what is he getting at?"
The conclusion shouldn't be too hard to reach.
Here's a question: "If I was a currently socially unacceptable/religiously (as in, some major people within your religion are against it, even if the religion in question is not) unacceptable type or person, would my opinion of these people be the same? Is it fair to discriminate against them when I could be in the same situation myself?
Ponder if for a moment, then read on.
If your answer invoked religion, a higher power, or some holy text, then your answer is most likely not what it should be. In that case, I'll add the phrase: "What if I was taught a different religion as a child? Would I still believe in the one which I follow?" Rethink, and if your answer is the same, you aren't thinking about this rationally. If that's the case, then you have a very common and socially acceptable problem which is quite hard to fix.
I've heard/read arguments that some conditions are bad for reproduction or bad for survival and should not be supported because they, if passed on, will be bad for future humans. For example, people with mental retardation have at times been separated from the rest of humanity and even euthanized for being the way they are. The same goes for many different ethnicities.
Yes, standard mental retardation is bad for the gene pool, but it's not as if we select against people with IQs under 80, or 90, or 100, and so forth. Yes, homosexuals and transgenders are less likely to reproduce, but so what? As far as we know, those traits aren't genetic. Yes, some people have darker skin than others, but so what? We (I) have lighter skin than they do, does that make us (me) any better or worse?
If you are willing to argue this for those traits, why not be fair and extend it to every negative trait. For example, how about not producing any corrective lenses for those who benefit from them, and not treating genetic diseases, or using treatments to allow the nearly fertile to reproduce (those with too few sperm to successfully impregnate a woman, etc), and so forth. Wouldn't that drastically improve the gene pool? As a matter of fact, it wouldn't. Almost every single being has traits which are automatically bad for survival, while everyone has traits which are in current contexts bad for survival as well. It's ridiculous to impose sanctions and discriminate against those who possess some traits which don't allow us to reproduce.
Simply put, it's "Treat others the way you want to be treated". Remember that.
No comments:
Post a Comment