Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

“PROFESSOR T: 
... Feel sorry for these people here?
These other people are to blame.
Thus, empathy is twisted into hatred ...

... Empathetic reactivity can lead to anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts. What we need is something colder, harder. Something that is actually useful. Compassion.

Kind, caring.
The schemata that scramble the warning signals.
STUDENT 4: Empathetic?
Ah, empathy, so easily manipulated.
We see this so often on the world stage.
Feel sorry for these people here?
These other people are to blame.
Thus, empathy is twisted into hatred.
...

Something you said in your previous lecture has been bothering me.
        Can you bear to remind us?
You said that empathy can be turned into hatred.
I'm an empath.
I feel pain at injustice, but never anger.
        You feel pain at what you perceive to be injustice.
        And never anger...so far.
        Empaths often claim that they do not do anger.
        However, years spent repressing this natural emotion can lead to anger being bypassed and volcanic rage erupting in its place.
        To be clear, empathy is a wonderful quality.
        It makes us human, kind, giving.
        But there is also a dark side.
        When extreme empaths see terrible injustice, these positive qualities can turn negative.

....

PROFESSOR T: Empathetic reactivity can lead to anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts.
What we need is something colder, harder.
Something that is actually useful.
Compassion.

 

"― Professor T - "

September Gardens

Season 4 Episode 2