tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510018313668806076.post2087113486050661200..comments2023-06-16T05:52:31.379-07:00Comments on Why Empathy?: A subtle fallacyAdityahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265541752604506523noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510018313668806076.post-22663167321510765682009-10-05T14:21:22.013-07:002009-10-05T14:21:22.013-07:00What prevents us from living according to our beli...What prevents us from living according to our beliefs? There's at least one easy answer (over-simplified as it may be). Human brains are just not very good at associating CAUSE and EFFECT when the two are separated in TIME or SPACE. If we put our hand on a hot stove and immediately feel pain, we will learn the lesson to not do that again. Obviously. The difficulty in associating things separated in time is also fairly obvious. But it's the space effect that is more important. That is, the space between the person doing something and the person whom it affects. Not only physical space (as in its easier to push a big red button to kill thousands than it is to kill just one person up close with a knife), but also the enormous space between the minds of two people in the same room. If only we had to suffer the consequences of all our actions, immediately after doing those actions, the world's problems would fix themselves in a jiffy. And it's a safe bet we'd all be vegetarians too. =)Will Gainesnoreply@blogger.com