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Through history "fearless warriors" have been deliberately created by separating children from mothers and institutionalising them. (like Spartans)
In more recent times we have noticed that nations that we perceive to be colder and less empathic than ours are the ones who put children into day care at an early age.
Nowadays, we are "those" countries. Everyone is cared for in a nursery or similar. This probably accounts for some of the changes.
hedda
I'm fascinated by the students lack of empathy article.
Slightly obsessed with psychopaths at the moment ( legally defeated one after 4/5years) and now realize there are an awful lot of them out there : in politics, business, fixing taps and amongst dolers.
and of course the one main feature of psychopaths- a total lack of empathy about other people which is difficult to understand for a 'normal' person.
I reckon they swarm around the net like bees to honey.
Jo
JK: I believe Twitter is a weapon of the Devil; 140 characters encouraging superficiality in thought as well as in language...worse and worse online behaviour that I'm sure, normally, she would never have spoken face-to-face...The new "friendship" doesn't even involve liking someone.
JM: But when I read many comments in other places it at least confirms what I have come to see is how many people lack empathy.
I think you get to the heart of this, by homing in on the lack of genuine feelings or empathy. Calling it a weapon of the devil might be seen as an exaggeration, but I think you mean it literally and make a very valid point. If digital communication deadens empathy, as research suggests might be the case, does it go further and actually encourage malevolent acts? From trolling at one end to ISIS at the other?
There are also the positive feelings communicated online, like condolences for strangers. How genuine are they? Do the posters really feel sorry, or do they just want to be seen as 'caring'? If their online positive feelings are fake and/or all about their ego, does this inhibit their ability to show real positive feeling about other people?
Fake positive(?) + genuine negative(?) = what in real life?
John Marsh
It's also shown that society really has an awful lot of people seething with hate. I guess they were always there.
Also, I think the vast majority of people do not say anything but go with the flow.
Everyday I end up saying "...it is a crazy world." On one hand we have iPads etc (Not me, can not afford one)and on the other hand there is injustice, wars, poverty, lack of basics and so on. Thousands of years of existence and still killing. Or as in the UK much is now done to protect children while growing up which is good stuff only to abandon them once they are approaching their 20's. It's just crazy.
I am glad to see this site where many voice their views and concerns in a reasonable manner and a good sense of humour. But when I read many comments in other places it at least confirms what I have come to see is how many people lack empathy. Anyone of us who have had children could of had something go wrong, so should be very slow to condemn anyone else.
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