Abigail Dodds

Article: The Beauty and Abuse of Empathy 

by Abigail Dodds

April 14, 2020 

Notes by Edwin Rutsch

• "Research shows that women in particular are more empathetic than men when seeing other people in pain. I think this reflects a wonderful design feature that God has given women that benefits not only any children we might have, but our entire communities. "

  • • When watching others in pain, women’s brains show more empathy - David Olmos  

• Explores

  • 1. Isolated Empathy

    • thinks empathy would give into a child's immediate  desires, and not think of the long term.  "His immediate comfort becomes the goal, rather than his long-term health."   "I would succumb to his desire. Rather than doing what my rational mind knows is best for him "

    • (but we need empathy for the parent and their views as well as can empathize with the child in the future.)

    • Empathy Circle Response: ?

  • 2. Cowardly Empathy

    • empathy and coddling the sin 

    • "feeling sorry for others caught in sin, in tearful solidarity and nothing else, are actually using others, not loving them. "

    • (again mutual empathy and the empathic dialogue are the way forward)

    • Empathy Circle Response: ?

  • 3. Manipulative Empathy

    • "Distorted empathy does terrible damage when misused toward others, but it absolutely destroys the one who turns her empathy inward. It seeks to sympathize with its own sad state. "

    • Self-pity  

    • Empathy Circle Response: ?

  • Empathy Redeemed

    • "When that right ordering has happened, when empathy has refused isolation, cowardice, and manipulation, when she has bound herself to truth, what a beautifying effect she can have on the church. When we submit empathy to God rather than submit to empathy itself, God transforms empathy.  "