VIDEO: Is Empathy Sin? | Dr. Steve Johnson & Dr. Seth Scott Sep 12, 2021 20min
Moderated by David Croteau - Columbia International University
Dr. Steve Johnson Professor of Counseling - President at Albert Ellis Institute
Dr. Seth Scott Professor of Counseling Elder at Radius Church
A dialogue about the concept of empathy is sin.
Steve Johnson starts off
we have so much scientific research and meta studies that shows the value of empathy in making change
Seth Scott
agree, there is so much is the counseling literature that shows empathy is effective.
being with the client, showing you understand their perspective, you see them
David Croteau
seems that a lot of what is going on is the definitions. What are some definitional terms?
Steve Johnson
broader perspective - there's a category of attitudes with emotions from, pity to sympathy, empathy all the way up to compassion
these are umbrella terms and abstracts, what are the components
pity - experiencing distress because the other is experiencing distress'
sympathy - a bit more emotional distance in that process not the full kind of sharing in the perspective or not sharing in the the emotional response
empathy is much more about really getting in and understanding the perspective to the degree that we can understanding the person's perspective and their emotional response
Compassion is that i suffer along with their suffering
Steve Johnson
with empathy you can't totally feel what the person is feeling... it's not going to happen. it is the attempt to try to get close to grasp that.
Compassion, is there an action component to that?
Seth Scott
we see Jesus regularly interacting with people and Jesus was move to compassion and drive a response to do something.
Steve Johnson
If client feels that the counselor has empathy they are much more likely to change for the better
great change
with science we see mirror neurons that show how empathy works.
Seth Scott
So the error in the assumption that that says sin is empathy is this assumption that in feeling with someone else, you lose all sense of self all sense of perspective or capacity to maintain even groundedness in your your own sense of authority, of perspective, of cognition.
we are not in emotion or cognitions but in a continuously shifting multiplicity of influence between those factors
We can get lost in another persons perspective, but saying empathy is only being lost in the perspective of the other is an over generalization.
David Croteau
so empathy is not you getting lost in the other persons emotions, but it can happen.
Seth Scott
it's called enmeshment or fusion, where we lose our identity. we would say it is not healthy to lose yourself. or codependence.
David Croteau
method actors
Seth Scott
without empathy come across as hardened, detached.
a councilors were are called to walk with someone. and bringing a aspect of god perspective.
Jesus has empathy
Steve Johnson
is sympathy more object that empathy. absolutely not
with empathy it allows an objective response.
the mirror neurons light up.
with psychopaths', their mirror neurons don't light up
Seth Scott
"sympathy for others is not enough a biblical sort of empathy is necessary init the counselor enters into the counseling's problem in such a way that the counselor sees more deeply than his counselee. He reaches so deeply that he not only sees and feels the dimension of the problem as his counsel he does but beyond that he sees god's solution to it ." Heath Lambert
empathy joins in with the person. to have a relationship. gives a deeper insight and connection.
David Croteau
the empathy is sin people, they are pointing out a danger. . how would you word that.?
is it a legitimate danger?
Seth Scott
they are concerned that in the culture we affirm everything some is experiencing and that we can not interject a perspective.
existential humanism - affirms everything someone says.
with empathy you have rational detachment and perspective as well.